The Drawing
by HPGunshot
Summary: [ON HIATUS]What started out as a traditional competition became so much more when Hermione's father suddenly fell ill. The money from the Drawing would pay for her father's surgery, all Hermione had to do was convince an entire kingdom she was falling for their prince. [H/Hr. AU]
1. Chapter One

**AN: Hey guys! I will keep this AN short and have a longer one at the end (there's stuff about Her Story down there, too). But there are a few things that need to be addressed before we start.**

 **This is a completely AU story. I've combined a few worlds to make it my own. Because of this, there will be TONS of stuff that people won't know, so much that it would require blocks of** **text to get things across. That being said, the history and everything will be read at a 'need to know' basis. Things will be explained in due time, but I'm not going to focus the entire beginning of the story going through the histories and such. That would take up too much time and there's already a build up to get into the meat and potatoes of the story.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **The Drawing**

 **Chapter One**

A loud bang jolted Hermione from her sleep. With a startled gasp, her eyes snapped open and she shot up, her heart racing from the sudden sound. Delighted laughter filtered through the dilapidated walls of her home moments later, making the young woman curse under her breath. Those damn neighbours were always letting their children experiment with magic when it was safe to do so, which almost always resulted in some sort of loud explosion. Hermione briefly wondered what sort of damage the little hellions had caused this time but forced herself to not think about it.

As annoying as the children were, Hermione would always force herself to put up with it. She (along with the rest of the neighbourhood) would turn a deaf ear to the noises being made. When the dates for the monthly inspections were announced, everyone in the neighbourhood would pitch in to help with the scorched fences and dead grass. Everyone would smile smiles of barely concealed contempt and tell the officials, "No there hasn't been any use of magic around here" when they did decide to show up.

Because no matter how much those little boys annoyed everyone, no matter how much Hermione _hated_ the boys' parents for ignoring everyone's warnings to stop letting their children play with fire, no one would _ever_ wish the punishments the family would receive if they were turned in.

Hermione rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched in her chair, her back aching in protest. She had fallen asleep while reading _Hogwarts, A History_ and was sure that her cheek had a lovely imprint of a page on it. She grabbed her bookmark and placed it on the page she had left off before closing the book.

Judging from the warm sunlight that peeked through her shabby curtains, Hermione surmised it was nearing the late afternoon. That realization made her heart lodge itself in her throat and she grabbed her book, scrambling off of her chair before kicking it to the side. Beneath the table she used as a desk were a series of floorboards that she had managed to pry loose over the years. With practiced precision, she dug one of her chipped nails into the edge of a floorboard and pulled, trying not to cough from the dust that lifted up with the board. An aged sheet of muslin was holding the books Hermione had begun to collect inside the little hole. She pushed the fabric aside, placed her book on top of the stack and covered them back up with the muslin, taking extra care to make sure they were securely wrapped. After popping the floorboard back in place, Hermione stood up, moved the chair to its original position and ran out of her room.

She was going to be late.

The living area was dark and musty as Hermione ran into it. Her bag was still on the sofa from when she had flung it that morning in her haste to get a few hours of reading in before she was expected to be at work again. She slung it over her shoulder, grabbed her keys and left her house.

By the time she reached the mansion, her boss was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips and glaring fiercely at the young woman.

"You are late."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Pince," Hermione began, skidding to a halt. Her trek left her slightly breathless and she swallowed hard. "I –"

"Save it," Mrs. Pince held her hand up, effectively cutting Hermione off. "I don't care what your excuse is. You were told to be here at a specific time and I expect you to be here, _working_ , at that time."

Hermione winced. She nodded, keeping her eyes glued to the ground in front of her. "It won't happen again, Mrs. Pince."

"No, it won't," the older woman agreed. "And for God's sake child, look at me when I'm talking to you."

Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet Mrs. Pince. The harsh woman narrowed her gaze, taking in her appearance. "You're to meet with Molly in the kitchen. She'll explain what your task is today because I can't be bothered to go over it _again_." Hermione cringed. "And do something with that hair. I know you Fifth District's lack etiquette but _that_ is simple common sense."

Hermione felt herself flush angrily as she reached up to self-consciously pat her hair. Her wild brown curls had tamed somewhat over the years as she matured, but she was sure they were all over the place thanks to her rushing to try and get to work on time. Mrs. Pince raised her eyebrows at her, clearly expecting an answer. Hermione wanted to tell the woman where to go and how to get there but instead mumbled, "Yes, ma'am."

Mrs. Pince stepped aside, letting Hermione hurry through the doorway. Inside she could hear the bustle of other Fives going about their duties. She kept her head down as she reached into her bag, grabbing the rag she used to tie her hair up and quickly did so. After storing her bag in the little cupboard they were allowed to use, Hermione quickly made her way to the kitchen. She pressed her hands against her cheeks; they were burning so much it almost hurt.

Hermione spotted the portly Molly Weasley instantly when she reached the kitchen. The middle aged woman had the brightest shade of red hair Hermione had ever seen on someone, making her stand out amidst the browns, blacks, and blondes of the others in the room.

Molly turned as she approached and sighed sympathetically, obviously taking in Hermione's still red face.

"Don't worry about Mrs. Pince, dear," she said quietly, handing Hermione a bucket filled with soapy water. Molly turned, grabbing a couple of sponges before beckoning the younger woman to follow her out of the kitchen.

"It's hard not to," Hermione muttered, keeping her eyes on the bucket. She moved with small steps, trying to keep the water from sloshing onto the floor.

"Yes, well…" Molly trailed off and sighed again. "Why were you late?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I, uh, fell asleep reading."

"You? Fell asleep reading?" Molly turned to stare at Hermione with a dubious expression.

"I was tired," she defended, feeling the heat in her cheeks return.

They turned a corner and walked down a long, narrow, marble hallway. Once at the end, Molly gestured for Hermione to set the bucket down and held out a sponge.

Kneeling down, Hermione began to scrub at the floor viciously. It had taken all the willpower Hermione possessed to be able to be the quiet and submissive Fifth District Five that was expected of her while Mrs. Pince lectured her. ' _No_ ,' Hermione thought bitterly, ' _not expected – required_.'

Her mother had told her time and time again that she was too prideful, that her mouth would get her into trouble. And it did. There were times when Hermione couldn't hold her tongue when someone talked down to or belittled her, and she _had_ paid the price. The scars and scabs on her knuckles were testament to that. But things were different now and she couldn't afford to lose her temper. So Hermione kept her head down and bit her tongue, taking her frustrations out on whatever task was given to her – like the poor marble floor.

Hermione was able to lose herself in her work and about six hours later, Mrs. Pince allowed them to leave for the night. Hermione reached up and pulled the rag from her hair, running a hand through her curls to get out any kinks. She felt sticky and gross from the physical work she had done and her stomach was beginning to cramp from hunger.

"Two o'clock at the Chang residence, Granger," Mrs. Pince announced as Hermione walked by her to grab her bag. Molly had left before her and she didn't want to keep the woman waiting. Nonetheless, Hermione paused and gave a tired nod. "And I _expect_ you'll be there no later than ten to."

"Of course," Hermione said softly, making sure to look Mrs. Pince in the eye.

There was a pause and then Mrs. Pince nodded. Hermione turned to leave just as Mrs. Pince's voice stopped her yet again. "The only reason you're here is because I owe a favor to your father. You best remember that."

 **[o][o][o]**

"I forgot to ask – how's your father doing?"

Hermione paused, watching as the murky water drained from the sink. The usual flicker of worry wormed its way into her stomach as it always did whenever she thought of her father and she fought to push it down. "He's okay," she said, clearing her throat. "Mum says he's starting to look better now, but that's what she always says."

Molly clucked her tongue sympathetically. "I'm sorry, dear," she said in a soft voice that only mothers seemed to possess. "But your father is strong, he'll get better soon."

Hermione said nothing and nodded, hating the way her throat constricted and her eyes began to burn. She cleared her throat one more time before placing the bucket under the faucet and turning on the tap. After washing the bucket out, she banged it a couple of times against the edge of the sink to get any excess water out before placing it in the cupboard. Their tasks for that day were finally completed and Hermione was eager to get home.

"All finished, I presume?" Mrs. Pince asked, walking into the kitchen with her head held high.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," the woman nodded, her beady eyes taking in the two in front of her. "You may go now. Be here again tomorrow at the same time."

Hermione gave a quick curtsy and another "Yes, ma'am," before scurrying out of the kitchen, Molly right behind her. The sun was just beginning to set as they stepped outside. The cool air felt wonderful on Hermione's skin and she allowed herself a happy sigh.

"Is your mother visiting your father again this weekend?" Molly asked.

Hermione tried to ignore another flick of worry as it crept up on her. "She is," she nodded. "She took the last bus into the city after her shift today."

Molly hummed, her brows furrowing. It was no secret that the older woman was not impressed with how Hermione's mother was handling her father's sudden illness. In fact, it caused quite a few arguments between the two women. Hermione's family had grown close to the Weasleys over the years and while the bond between them and Hermione had grown over the past four months, her mother was starting to wear out her welcome.

"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight, dear?" Molly suggested. "It's not good for you to be in that house alone."

This was also another regular argument that happened between Hermione and Molly. With Hermione's mother spending more and more time in the city with her father, the Weasleys would offer Hermione some of their hard earned food. At first, Hermione accepted. The Weasleys had come into some extra money with the surprising promotion of one of their children. But after Percy decided he was too good for his 'low status' family and moved to a nicer town (and taking the extra income with him), Hermione felt bad for taking them up on their offer. The family of eight needed all the money they could get just to have one meal a day. She couldn't agree to that when Molly had her own children to think of.

"I think I'll pass for tonight," she said, trying to give Molly a smile. She was sure it came out more of a grimace. "I'm really tired from today's work and I have to be up early tomorrow for my shift at Mr. Masen's."

"Mr. Masen's?" Molly stopped, reaching out and pulling on Hermione's arm to turn her around.

"Yeah," Hermione nodded, trying to ignore the scrutinizing look the older woman was giving her. "Mr. Masen found out Dad was sick and sought me out. He said if we needed any help with money to let him know so I'm starting to do work for him in the mornings."

"Oh, Hermione," Molly breathed. "No wonder why you're tired all the time!"

Hermione had to look away from the sadness that filled Molly's brown eyes. She didn't need her pity.

Molly grabbed both of Hermione's hands and tugged on them, forcing her to look at the woman. "I'll leave you be tonight, but you _are_ coming over tomorrow for dinner and I am _not_ accepting a refusal," she stated, her voice holding no room to argue. "We'll have a family meal and then we can all listen to the broadcast together, understand?"

Hermione felt a genuine smile creep up on her and she nodded, her heart suddenly bursting with love for the Weasley family. Try as she might, Hermione couldn't say no _all_ the time. Molly could be damn persistent, "Loud and clear."

Molly smiled, gently patting Hermione's cheek and they continued walking. They eventually parted ways and Hermione walked down the slightly uneven sidewalk, watching as the posh surroundings she began in bled into the dirty, rugged area she had learned to call home.

As she turned onto her street, Hermione noticed there were new scorch marks on the fence across from her house. She rolled her eyes, wondering what the Creevey boys had done this time.

 **[o][o][o]**

Hermione arrived at the Chang residence at precisely quarter to two. She stood outside of the gates, quickly finishing off the muffin Mr. Masen had given her and tied her hair up. Friday's were huge days for all members of society in the kingdom. It was the day that the _Hogwarts Express_ aired.

The _Hogwarts Express_ was an hour long programme that updated everyone with the goings on around the kingdom and within the royal family. Most of the time it was useless drivel filled with gossip and thinly veiled drama with just a dash of politics. But because there's been civil unrest with the provinces to the North the _Hogwarts Express_ was starting to add more military and strategic content to their show. However, that didn't stop people from making the weekly show a cause for celebration.

Every Friday, houses of higher castes would hold parties before and after the broadcast. While the broadcast was free to everyone within the kingdom, it was only the people who had money that were able to actually _watch_ the broadcast. Those who weren't lucky enough to serve at the parties or able to afford a Telefloo had to settle with listening via Wireless.

There was a flurry of activity when Hermione entered the kitchen of the Chang residence. Cooks rushed around, beginning their preparations for that evening's meal. Fives of all sub-castes rushed in and out of the room. Standing on a crate in the middle of the kitchen was Mrs. Pince's second in command. With a hand on her hip, she barked out orders to the servants passing by.

"I need all Fives to get to cleaning right away. If you are a Forth District Five, go to the ballroom. All Fifth District Five's go to the parlor to set up the area for after the broadcast."

Hermione turned on her heel and quickly made her way to the parlor. When she arrived she saw that other Fifth District Fives had already begun to push the tables and chairs aside so the floor could be washed.

A tall, dark haired man around Hermione's age entered right after her carrying a bucket of water in each hand. "Hey, Hermione," he greeted as he past her.

"Hi Justin," she smiled back, following him into the room.

"Come on, let's finish this so we can go home." Justin handed Hermione a mop and pointed to the bucket that had been placed in the corner of the room. "I hear the king is making an announcement tonight. Apparently there's going to be some type of event going on."

"Event," Alice Longbottom scoffed from where she was stacking chairs in a corner. "Since when do events have anything to do with _us_?"

Justin looked slightly put out at the older woman's remark, his face falling.

"Where did you even hear about that, Justin?" Hermione asked.

"I help out at the Thomas residence sometimes. Mrs. Thomas apparently just came back from visiting the palace and this event was all anyone could talk about," Justin reported dutifully.

Hermione nodded, knowing how fast gossip and rumours could spread throughout households. She dipped the mop into her bucket and rang it out just as Molly walked into the room.

"The ladies of the town seem to think some sort of ball will be happening," she announced. She obviously had caught the tail end of what Justin had said. "Ginny is going around saying she thinks the ball will be for all castes."

"That would be the day," Justin said dreamily, resting his chin on the handle of his mop.

Alice walked over and cuffed the man on the back of the head. "Stop your daydreaming and get back to work," she hissed. "If Mrs. Pince caught you like that -"

"Yeah, yeah," Justin grumbled, rubbing the back of his head and glaring at Alice.

Hermione shook her head at their antics and began to mop the floor. The four of them worked quickly to wash the floors, set up the tables and chairs, and make sure everything would be ready for the Second District Fives that would be there later that evening.

"I wish I could see the broadcast," Molly said as they were cleaning up. "Just once, you know?"

Hermione found herself nodding in agreement. She knew what the royal family looked like thanks to magazines and posters but could never really put the faces to the voices. And despite being annoyed at the flashy nature of the show, curiosity really did make Hermione want to watch a broadcast at least once. Those who had seen the broadcast said everyone was always dressed beautifully (which wasn't a surprise) and the host, Lee Jordan, had hilarious facial expressions.

Mrs. Pince arrived soon after to relieve them of their duties. Hermione grabbed her bag and followed Molly down the street. She was beginning to regret agreeing to the dinner but knew there was no way of getting out of it now.

"Everyone is excited to see you again," Molly chattered happily as they walked. "Ron's been asking about you a lot."

Hermione felt herself flush and she rubbed her neck. Ron was the second youngest of the Weasley children and just a year older than her. She always recalled him teasing her mercilessly whenever they were together as children, almost to the point of tears, and her father telling her that was his way of saying he liked her.

"What is Ron up to now?" Hermione asked, wanting to change the subject. The last she had heard, Ron was struggling to find work and that was putting a strain on the relationship between him and his father.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" Molly beamed at her. "Ron got a in with Oliver Wood - you know, the Three who teaches up on Churchill?"

"What?" Hermione gasped. "Molly! That's great!"

"I know," Molly sighed, looking every bit the proud mother she was. "Things were touch and go for a while after –" she cut herself off and cleared her throat. Hermione felt a rush of anger towards Percy. "Well… things were pretty hit or miss. But it's getting better. I can't believe it. My baby boy – a Third District Five!"

Hermione reached out and squeezed Molly's arm, so happy for the family. It was hard for anyone in the lower castes to gain rank so having Ron do so was quite an accomplishment. A small part of her worried that he would have it go to his head like Percy had, but she quickly dismissed it. Ron, although prone to jealousy, was a lot more level headed than Percy ever was. Plus the jump in rank wasn't nearly as drastic for him as it was for Percy. Ron only went up two fifths of a rank (from Fifth District Five to Third District Five), while Percy jumped from being a Fifth District Five to a Three.

The caste system wasn't always as it was. After the Great Wizard War almost a hundred years ago, all of the kings met together to form a peace treaty. They decided to band all of the warring kingdoms under one crown and, after much debate, the Potters came out on top. Of course, that was what was told to everyone. History books were considered illegal to everyone except for a few select Ones and Threes, and even then they weren't allowed to let their students read from them. To know the history of the kingdom of Hogwarts was, at least to royalty, considered a huge honor and they couldn't let just _anyone_ know their past.

There were six main castes in the kingdom and they were labelled by numbers. The One caste was reserved for immediate members of the royal family as well as senior royal advisors.

The Two caste was for distant members of the royal family, celebrities, politicians, and junior royal advisors.

The Three caste was for educators of all types, doctors, and the families of those who served under the One caste. Percy had somehow managed to snag a job as a politicians apprentice and since his job was to train the people working under his politician, he was moved up in rank to Three.

The Four caste was left for your average workers. They ranged from bakers to factory workers and while they weren't as well off as those from Three, they certainly didn't struggle as much as those in Five and Six did.

The Five caste was the only one that had sub-castes within it. It began with everyone within Five being a servant of some kind. But as the population in the higher castes grew, people from One and Two began wanting a higher _caliber_ of servant. Thus, the District sub-caste was born. Those who were just called Fives served directly under the crown and their families were rewarded greatly. The Second District Fives served under Twos and so on and so forth.

Being a Fifth District Five was the second lowest caste class there was, and it was the caste that Hermione and her family were a part of. Somewhere between when the caste system was created and now, witches and wizards born to non-magical or half and half parents became a pariah. Non-magical peoples were a big cause of concern to the kingdom. It had only been fifty years since muggles (what witches and wizards called the non-magical people) were even allowed into the country. There was still discrimination against them but they were able to live peacefully. They were given sections of cities to live in and as long as they were loyal to the Hogwarts crown, had their own governments and laws.

However, almost immediately after King Charles made the decree to let muggles live and work in the kingdom, the rate for muggle born witches and wizards rose dramatically. What was even more terrifying (to the higher ups, at least) was that the number of squibs being born (a person born from a wizarding family with no magical ability whatsoever) also rose, seemingly from nowhere. This reinforced the newly created sub-caste to make sure that Ones and Twos were given Fives from poor, but respectable, wizarding families.

The Six caste was the lowest caste possible. These people were usually jobless and homeless, left to beg on the street or turn to a life of crime. Squibs and muggles who no longer had a wizarding family to help support them (the muggle parts of the kingdom were extremely hesitant to allow muggles back in after leaving) were usually the ones who made up this caste, but runaways found their way into being Sixes as well.

Although Sixes did certainly have it worse, it was the sub-castes in Five that suffered from the most discrimination. There wasn't much of a distinction between Fourth and Fifth District Fives other than Fourth District Fives were allowed to use magic and Fifth District Fives were not. Because Fifth District Fives were mainly muggleborns, the government issued a statement stating they were 'uneasy' with allowing them the use of magic while in the presence of their muggle families.

Muggleborns, for the most part, understood this statement. There had been some civil unrest between the muggles living in the kingdom and lower caste magical people so they could understand the government's concern. For a while they were only allowed to use magic while at work. However a few years later, the government decided to not allow muggleborns to use magic, at all. And the Fifth District Five caste was born.

Neighbourhoods that housed Fifth District Fives received monthly inspections by guards to make sure no one was doing magic illegally. Those caught covering for them were stripped of their caste and, after a harsh punishment, pushed into the Fifth District Five caste themselves. If someone from Fifth District Five was caught covering for someone, two things could happen. If they were lucky, they were sent to jail. Otherwise the Fifth District Five and their entire family became Sixes.

Molly grabbed Hermione's hand and tugged on it when the Weasleys' two story house came into view, pulling her from her thoughts. Hermione grinned. Apparently she was walking too slow for Molly's liking and allowed herself to be dragged up the front yard to the door.

"Hermione!"

Suddenly, Hermione was enveloped by a mass of red hair and arms. Laughing, she tried to wiggle her arms out of the hug to wrap them around Ron. "Ron! Ginny!"

Ron let Hermione go only to have Ginny spring into her arms, giving her a big hug.

"It's been too long!" Ginny gushed, squeezing Hermione tightly.

"I know," Hermione said, feeling a bit guilty. "I'm sorry, I've been busy."

"Don't worry about it," Ron waved it off, pulling Ginny off of her while Molly looked on with a smile. "We understand." He draped an arm around her shoulder and led the way into the house.

Once she stepped into the house, Hermione groaned as the delicious aroma hit her. "That smells good," she moaned.

Ron sniggered, clearly amused. "Charlie's been cooking up a storm once we found out you were coming for supper."

"Really?" Hermione felt her smile grow.

"Of course," Ginny scoffed, rolling her eyes. "According to Fred and George you're the sister they wished they had. I really should hate you."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. The twins were two of the most mischievous people she had ever met, but they were oddly charming at the same time.

"I'm going to go see if any help is needed in the kitchen," Molly said, excusing herself. Ron and Ginny led Hermione into the living area and she sat down on the couch.

"Oh – congratulations, Ron!" Hermione said. "Third District Five!"

Ron grinned sheepishly, his ears turning pink. "Thanks," he replied. "It still doesn't feel real."

"You should've seen his face when he came home from his first day of work," Ginny taunted, grinning at her brother.

"Gin," Ron groaned.

Hermione laughed and then turned to Ginny. "What about you? Are you still working at the hotel?"

"Yeah," Ginny sighed. The light in her eyes dimmed slightly. "Still there."

"At least it's steady work," Hermione offered. "You know you have a place."

"That's true," she nodded. "I guess I'm pretty lucky with that."

Dinner was called after that and the three of them made their way into the dining room. It was always a bit cramped around the small table, but Hermione loved the atmosphere. She spent dinner getting caught up with all of the Weasleys and, after helping with the cleanup, found herself back in the living area wedged in between Fred and Ginny as they waited for the _Hogwarts Express_ to air.

"I wonder what the event is going to be," Ginny pondered. Hermione rolled her eyes; this hadn't been the first time she had brought it up that evening and, if Hermione was being honest with herself, it was starting to get a little annoying.

"We'll find out soon, Ginny," Arthur Weasley stated calmly, looking up from his magazine.

"Not soon enough," she grumped, huffing. Hermione snorted.

Finally, the opening jingle sounded from the Wireless. Ginny let out a little squeak and rushed to the radio, turning up the dial to make it louder.

" _Gooooooood evening, ladies and gentlemen!_ " Lee Jordan's voice filled the small room. " _Welcome to this week's_ Hogwarts Express _! We have a full show tonight, folks so let's jump right into it. King James, if you'd be so kind."_

There was a break with polite applause as King James made his way to wherever he was supposed to go. Ginny bit her lip as she waited. Hermione wanted to tell her she didn't think they would announce whatever it was that was getting everyone in a tizzy so soon but never got the chance as the king began to talk.

Like Hermione had predicted, the king began with some talk about budgets and some politician wanting to start a petition for better schooling within Hufflepuff. Beside her, Ginny was slowly losing interest and began to fidget with her worn out jeans.

The next forty-five minutes continued on much like that. King James, along with some of his advisors would talk about the world around them with little interruptions from Lee to keep things entertaining.

" _Alright – here's the part I know a lot of you have been waiting for_ ," Lee began. He must have given a look to someone because laughter could be heard in the background. "Someone _let it slip that there was going to be something exciting happening pretty soon. I think a lot of us agree that it's been quite entertaining listening to people all week trying to figure out what it that's going to happen._ " There was another break with more laughter. " _So without further ado… Prince Harry, would you please?_ "

Ginny let out another squeak, her eyes wide as a generous amount of applause could be heard. Prince Harry never spoke during the _Hogwarts Express_ except for rare occasions.

" _Good evening_ ," Prince Harry crooned to the crowd. His tenor voice seemed to draw a sigh from Ginny, making Hermione and Fred snort. " _With the coming of my twentieth birthday this summer, it leaves me realizing that not only will I be inheriting the crown in a few short years, but that it's about time I take a break to try and find the woman of my dreams and your future queen. So, with that being said, I am very excited to announce Hogwarts' fourth Drawing_."

The crowd began to cheer as both Molly and Ginny 'ooh'd' and 'aww'd' at the thought of such an event. Even Hermione felt herself somewhat intrigued. From what she understood, the Drawing was an event where a number of girls were drawn from a lottery all across the kingdom. The selected girls would live in the palace for a certain amount of time while each being courted by the prince until he decided on a girl he wanted to marry. Queen Lily had been the last winner of the Drawing and was universally loved throughout the kingdom.

Prince Harry's chuckle managed to calm things down. " _I'm happy everyone is as excited about this as I am_ ," he said. " _This Drawing, however, will be a little different from past Drawings._

" _This year, we will be drawing twelve names from the lottery and select three girls from each province. Anyone between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one are eligible and I encourage everyone to apply. And I mean_ everyone _. Caste does not matter this Drawing_."

"WHAT!" Ginny screeched, jumping up.

The crowd from the broadcast erupted into even louder cheers as Ginny pranced around the living area, giving her mother the widest doe eyes she could muster. "Can I apply, Mum? Please? _Please?_ "

Fred groaned beside Hermione, "She's not going to shut up about this now."

Hermione grimaced, feeling sorry for the Weasley family for the upcoming weeks. If Ginny had been annoying for just a couple hours at the _possibility_ of having a caste-less ball, this Drawing would be a trying period for all the Weasley men.

 **[o][o][o]**

 **AN: And there it is, the first chapter! If you couldn't tell already, this story is the love child of J.K. Rowling's _Harry Potter_ and Kiera Cass's _The Selection_. I'm super excited about this project! **

**Now there are probably some of you wondering what's been going on with _Her Story_. And that's a good question. I think it's safe to say that Her Story: Chamber of Secrets is put on an indefinite hiatus. I may go back to it because who knows, this story might get my writing juices flowing again, but I'm not making any promises. All of the support you guys gave me for that series was absolutely amazing and I love each and every one of you, but there was so much drama behind the scenes of me writing it that I just ... argh. Just argh. **

**Anywhoodle, I have about the first seven chapters of the Drawing written. My update schedule will probably be once every week or two, depending on how much writing I get done. I'm making it so I always have at least three chapters between the last chapter posted and what I have written because these characters have a way of taking what I want to do with the story, holding a gun to my hands, and telling me how it actually is going to work out, which makes me have to rework things. Stupid characters. I hate them but I love them.**

 **See you on the flip side,**

 **HP.**


	2. Chapter Two

**The Drawing**

 **Chapter Two**

Over the next couple of days, the Drawing was all Hermione heard people talk about. The older generations were reminiscing watching King James during his Drawing and how they knew from the first day that Queen Lily would be the one for him. The younger generations were impatiently counting down the days until the lottery was made on the _Hogwarts Express_ and hoping and praying that they would be one of the girls chosen. Hermione really couldn't be bothered by the whole ordeal. Yes, she was excited to see how the Drawing progressed, but she was more excited about witnessing history being made rather than a gaggle of girls fight and claw their way into Prince Harry's heart.

"Ginny will not stop talking about the application," Molly lamented. She and Hermione were walking home from work Sunday evening after a ten hour day and both of them were exhausted. "It's Drawing this, Drawing that – are we sure the royal family knows there is a girl of eligible age at our house so we can get an application? I'm pretty sure they do, they send those damn guards every month to check on us."

Hermione snorted at Molly's dry tone, shaking her head at Ginny's antics. "Do you think they'll follow through with all castes being welcome?" she asked. A lot of people seemed pleased with the new addition to the Drawing since the previous ones were only available to Threes and up, but Hermione knew there were plenty of people who were saying it was just a publicity stunt.

"I think so," Molly replied thoughtfully. "The king and queen have always kept their word so I don't see why they'd lie about something this big."

Hermione wanted to point out that it was Prince Harry who had said they would overlook the castes and not the king or queen, but decided against it. As much as Molly complained about Ginny over the past two days, Hermione could tell she genuinely hoped her daughter would be one of the twelve girls selected.

"Either way, the application should be here tomorrow so we'll fill it out after work and take it to the post office. It'll be out of our control after that." Molly ran a hand through her hair before looking over at Hermione with a sly smile. "Will you be applying?"

"Me?" Hermione barked out a laugh. "No, no, no… can you really see _me_ vying for Prince Harry?"

"Well, no," Molly admitted, making Hermione laugh again. "But I do know you're a romantic at heart."

"So I read romance stories," Hermione rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the flush she knew was on her cheeks. "It's one of the few things we _are_ allowed to read. Anyway, there's no way I could apply. If I were picked, there would be no extra income and with Dad sick and Mom… well, they'd become Sixes and I could never do that to them."

"You do know the families are given a weekly stipend for as long as the girls stay at the palace, right?" Molly pointed out.

"What?"

Molly nodded. "It wasn't mentioned in the broadcast but I'm sure it will be somewhere on the application form. Every Drawing always has some sort of stipend while the girls are there because they know having the girls leave for so long can affect their families. Of course, the money was never really _needed_ , but I don't see them changing that rule."

Hermione hummed in thought. Having the extra money would be a great thing to have, especially since it seemed her father's medical bills kept increasing. But she would be one girl out of thousands applying. What were the chances of her being picked?

Hermione immediately slammed the door to that thought. Was she _actually_ considering applying? She shook her head, berating herself for allowing Molly to get her swept away in the idea of it all. The _idea_ of the Drawing was very romantic in a fairy tale sense but she was sure the reality was probably anything but.

"Doesn't it feel wrong to want your daughter to go after the prince?" Hermione asked, glancing over at the older woman. "I've heard conversations between mothers that sound like they're giving their daughters _seduction_ advice."

"A part of me feels like it's wrong," Molly agreed after a moment's pause. "Ginny _is_ my baby, after all. But it's just… always been done this way. Not only that, but the outcome of the Drawing would be so good for her. Even if she isn't picked by Prince Harry, she'd become a Two afterwards. She'd have _choices_. Arthur and I made our choices long ago that got us sent to Fifth District Five and I do not regret that, but I _do_ regret that our children were born into this caste. They don't deserve this type of life so if Ginny can make it to the Drawing and has a chance to become a One or Two, then yes by all means she should go for it. Percy and Ron have made it out of this caste, so why can't she?"

"I can understand that," Hermione said slowly.

Molly nodded but remained silent. Hermione glanced sideways and saw that she was looking at the ground as they walked, a slight frown marring her features. "I'm sorry for bringing the caste thing up," she said softly, knowing that's what Molly was thinking about.

"Don't be sorry, dear," Molly said, wrapping a loving arm around her shoulder. Hermione reveled in the touch before Molly withdrew. "I was the one that brought it up. It's just hard sometimes."

Hermione nodded, understanding completely. She thought back to the stack of textbooks she was forced to keep hidden in her room. They walked in companionable silence for a while when an idea suddenly came to Hermione. "I think I'm going to visit dad this weekend," she announced.

Molly's eyebrows shot up and she grinned. "You should," she said enthusiastically, her mood brightening. "What brought this on?"

Hermione shrugged, "It just came to me… I feel like I should go visit him. I haven't seen him in almost three months because I've been working so much."

"And I told you as horrible as Mrs. Pince can be she would give you the time off," Molly sang.

"Yes, yes," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes. She stepped in front of Molly and went into the deepest curtsy she could without losing her balance. Speaking in her most demure voice, she said, "I am ever so sorry for doubting you, Lady Molly, knower of all things."

Molly laughed, grabbing Hermione and pulling her along the street as people began to stare at them. "Practicing for Prince Harry already are we?"

"What? No that was not what I was –" Hermione cut herself off as Molly laughed harder, glaring at the older woman. She made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and stomped down the street, leaving Molly cackling after her.

 **[o][o][o]**

Hermione could tell Molly was distracted at work the next day - practically every female was. Letters had started to arrive that morning with applications for the Drawing and Ginny had been one of the first to get hers. Molly almost had to kick Ginny out of the house that morning to go to work she had been so excited.

Hermione was distracted for an entirely different reason. She had gathered up her courage to ask Mrs. Pince for a day off to visit her father and almost didn't believe her boss when she insisted Hermione take _two_ days off instead. Hermione was sure Mrs. Pince was caught up in the Drawing hype and that was why she was being so generous. Still, she wasn't going to complain.

Finally, the work day was over and Hermione nearly laughed at the number of girls who practically sprinted out of the Chang mansion as soon as they were dismissed. Molly speed walked the entire way home, saying a quick goodbye to Hermione before scurrying off.

Hermione chuckled, shaking her head. She was sure she would hear all about Ginny's application process tomorrow at work. As she turned down her street, Hermione saw the Creevey boys huddling over something in their front yard.

"Good evening, boys," she called out. The young boys jumped and spun around, their eyes wide before realizing who had called out to them.

"G'evening, Miss Hermione," Dennis called out, flashing a too innocent smile her way.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed, "Just be careful."

"We will!" Colin and Dennis waved at her as she passed them and turned back to whatever experiment they were working on.

Hermione unlocked the door to her house and stepped inside, stopping in surprise when the smell of chicken wafted her way. "Hello?" she called out, closing the door and locking it behind her.

"Welcome home, Hermione," her mother called from the kitchen.

Hermione frowned, kicking her shoes off before padding into the kitchen. Her mother was at the stove with her back to her as she entered. "What are you doing home?" she asked. "I thought you weren't back until tomorrow."

Hermione saw her mother's shoulders stiffen for a second. "I figured I would use my extra day off to help around here," she said, still keeping her back to her daughter.

"Okay," Hermione said slowly. "Is everything okay?"

Her mother turned and smiled weakly at Hermione. She noticed with a start that her mother's eyes were red and puffy; it looked like she had been crying. "Mum, what's wrong? Is dad okay?"

"Your father is fine," she insisted fiercely, wiping her hands on a tea towel. She went to the fridge and opened it. Hermione saw that it had been restocked. "We just had a bit of an argument, that's all."

"About what?" Hermione asked, starting to worry. Her parents _never_ fought.

Her mother gritted her teeth and closed the fridge door with a snap before she turned to her, "Why didn't you tell me Mr. Masen gave you a job?"

Hermione frowned. She had no idea where that came from, "I thought you knew."

"Well I didn't."

"Mum _what_ is going on?" Hermione demanded. She sat down at the kitchen table. "What does me working for Mr. Masen have to do with your argument with dad?"

"He visited your father this morning and told him you were working for him, said he was worried about you since you worked full time with Mrs. Pince as well and haven't had a day off in _months_ ," her mother sniffed. "Hermione, why didn't you tell me you were working so much?"

"You were so upset about dad that I didn't want you to worry. I really thought that you knew. How else would we afford his bills? St. Mungo's is _not_ cheap," Hermione explained softly. She immediately regretted saying that when she saw her mother's face fall.

"I am such a horrible mother," she whispered, collapsing into a chair and putting her face into her hands. "I should have never let you handle all those bills when this first started."

"No, mum," Hermione protested. She got up and went to her mother, putting a comforting arm around her. "You were so out of it when dad first had to be admitted that you couldn't have possibly handled all that on your own. And I get it, he's your husband."

"But you're my daughter."

"I took responsibility of handling the bills because I knew if you started worrying about them you'd run yourself into the ground," Hermione stated firmly. "Plus, it gave _me_ something to do to distract myself." Her mother began to protest again. "Mum, it's okay. I don't blame you for taking time off to see dad."

"Well the trips into the city won't be happening as often," her mother said. She straightened up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I've already spoken with the salon and they're giving me back my hours."

Hermione stared at her mother and nodded. She knew this change in her was more than likely caused by her father, but was still secretly pleased to hear this. She didn't want to voice her relief out loud though, afraid it would set her mother off. Working nine plus hours every day for months really _had_ started to take its toll on Hermione. "I'll be seeing dad on Thursday," she announced, trying to change the subject to something a little brighter. "Mrs. Pince gave me _two_ days off. This Drawing sure has put her in a great mood."

"Your father would love to see you," her mother smiled. "Oh, and speaking of the Drawing, this came for you." A thick envelope was pushed across the table to Hermione as her mother got up and went back to the stove.

Butterflies fluttered in Hermione's stomach when she saw the Hogwarts crest proudly displayed in the corner of the envelope. "It's the application for the Drawing," she muttered.

"I think you should enter," her mother said idly.

"Why?"

"Well you could become queen for one," she teased. "Plus if you're selected the extra money could really help us out."

"Mum, I'm not entering the Drawing."

"Why not? What have you got to lose?"

"Let's be realistic here," Hermione rolled her eyes and tapped a finger on the envelope. " _This_ is a pipe dream. Just submitting the application won't pay the bills _or_ bring dad home. You know what will? Us - working together."

"Just think about it, dear."

Hermione rolled her eyes and got up from the table. "I'll be in my room," she called out. She shut her bedroom door and locked it, making sure the curtains were closed before she began to pry the loose floorboards open. She needed a few hours to relax and _Hogwarts, A History_ would be the perfect way to do so.

Thursday morning finally came and Hermione was the first one on the bus that took her into the city, feeling terrified and excited at the same time. Her mother had always been frustratingly vague with updates on her father's heath. "He looks better" didn't mean a thing to Hermione when she didn't know what her father's current condition looked like.

The bus left for the city and Hermione allowed herself to nap on and off. Having a few hours to herself was a luxury and, even though she wanted to read, she knew she'd fall asleep anyway. The three hour trip passed quickly and Hermione was soon brushing past people to get off of the bus. She received some nasty glares from a group of Fours but couldn't bring herself to care as she took in her surroundings.

Hermione never felt comfortable in the city. Ladies of Twos and Threes littered the streets, even more so now that the Drawing application had begun, dressed in all the latest fashions. Hermione hadn't even walked a full block yet and she had already received some scathing looks from people. Glancing down, her faded brown capri pants and plain blue shirt were a dead giveaway of what caste she belonged in. With a sigh, she continued on down the street with her head held high. The looks made her feel uncomfortable, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to her.

Turning around a corner, Hermione's eyes widened at the sheer amount of people before her. She had found the post office, although she couldn't actually _see_ the building. The extremely long line of woman waiting to drop off their application almost wrapped around the block completely.

Hermione continued on down the street, keeping her gaze in front of her. For the most part she was ignored, which she was thankful for, but she did hear one or two comments about 'people knowing their place' from the sea of silk, lace, and ribbons.

Thankfully, the large green building of St. Mungo's came into view. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and she wiped her suddenly clammy hands on her pants. She pulled open the door and stepped inside the hospital.

"Miss Granger!" A pretty young nurse called out pleasantly as Hermione approached her desk. Hermione recognized her as one of the main nurses who had looked after her father when he had first been admitted. "It's so nice to see you again. We were wondering where you were."

Hermione ignored the stab of guilt that hit her and gave a weak smile. "I've been pretty busy working lots of over time," she explained. She knew it was a horrible excuse.

The nurse waved her off, smiling kindly and standing up. "Well you're here now and that's what matters. Follow me and I'll show you to Mr. Granger's new room."

"How is my father doing?" Hermione asked, quickly walking around the desk and following the nurse as she walked down the hall.

Although the nurse was quick, she wasn't able to hide the flash of uncertainty that went across her face. "He has his good days and his bad days," she replied diplomatically. "Lately there have been more good days than bad, which is promising."

Hermione nodded, unsure of how she should respond. "Is it possible to speak with his doctor sometime today?" she finally asked.

"Of course," the nurse agreed readily. She stopped outside of a closed door and turned towards Hermione. "I'll tell the doctor you're here and he'll come find you as soon as he can. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Hermione thanked the nurse and pushed the door open. Her father was lying on a hospital bed, his eyes glued to the Telefloo that was situated in the corner of the room. He had lost weight, too much weight, Hermione noticed. His skin took on a sickly hue and his face was gaunt. Tears sprang into Hermione's eyes and she released a shaky breath, alerting her father of her presence.

His brown eyes widened as his head turned, giving Hermione a beautiful smile, "Hey Princess!"

In that moment, Hermione became a little girl again and ran to her father's side, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry it's been so long, daddy," she whispered into his neck. "I am _so_ sorry."

Her father hushed Hermione, his arms surprisingly strong around her. Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, he sighed, "Don't worry about it, love. I've been told how hard you've been working lately."

"Still," Hermione protested.

"Still nothing," her father cut her off. "I am _so_ proud of you and if anyone should be apologizing, it's me. You shouldn't have to work this hard for me."

Hermione shook her head, wiping away the stray tear that slid down her cheek. "You know I won't stop working until you're home."

Her father pursed his lips but instead of arguing, he pulled her to his side. Hermione snuggled into him, sniffling, as he grabbed the Telefloo remote. "When I get out of here we're buying one of these," he insisted. "Money be damned."

Hermione giggled.

Over the next hour, she and her father curled up together on the small bed and watched different programmes. Her father flipped through the different channels, explaining to her the plots and purposes of all the different shows. Eventually, they settled on something her father called a 'sitcom' and within minutes, his breathing evened out.

Hermione slowly sat up and looked down at her father. He looked like he had aged almost ten years and his once thick, brown hair that was so much like Hermione's was now dull and wispy.

A knock on the door gave Hermione a start. The door opened and an older man poked his head into the room. Hermione recognized him as Doctor Quill, her father's doctor, and stood up. "Good afternoon, Miss Granger," he greeted quietly, taking note of the sleeping man behind her. He opened the door. "Do you want to step out into the hall so we don't wake him?"

Hermione nodded and quickly followed him out of the room, gently shutting the door behind her. "So how has he been, really?" she asked immediately. "My mother has been extremely vague with what's going on."

"Yes…" Doctor Quill sighed. "Pardon me for saying so, but I believe your mother is in denial with your father's condition."

Hermione's heart pounded painfully in her chest, "How bad?"

She watched as a range of emotions flickered across his face. He stayed silent, seeming to struggle with how to say what he wanted to. Finally, he placed a hand on Hermione's arm and guided her further down the hall.

"He has a cancerous tumor in his stomach," he said softly. "Now, cancer is –"

"I know what cancer is," Hermione snapped. Her eyes widened when she realized her mistake.

"Right, of course," Doctor Quill said slowly, eyeing Hermione. "Anyway, we've only just discovered the tumor and he will need surgery – soon."

Hermione froze, staring at the doctor in shook. "What are you saying?" she whispered. They couldn't possibly afford a surgery. "Will my father be okay if he doesn't get the surgery?"

Doctor Quill had a pained expression and shook his head.

"I see…" she said softly. That couldn't be right. Her father couldn't be _dying_. He was strong – a fighter. Something as silly as a _disease_ couldn't be the thing that brings him down. "H-how much is the surgery?"

Again, a frustrated look went across the doctor's face. It looked like he was struggling for a minute before he heaved a heavy sigh and looked directly at Hermione. "Miss Granger," he began seriously, "may I be completely honest with you?"

"Of course," she immediately replied.

"The surgery is expensive – _very_ expensive, even by Two standards. I'm sorry if this offends you but I'm not going to sugar coat it. Someone from Fifth District Five will _never_ be able to pay for the surgery. You and your mother affording to pay for your father's accommodations is a huge feat all on its own, but the surgery would cost at least ten times more than what you're already paying. And then he would have to have recovery time."

Tears flooded Hermione's vision immediately. She felt humiliation, despair, anger.

"I am very sorry, Miss Granger," Doctor Quill said. A tissue was pressed into Hermione's hands and she started dabbing at her eyes. "I wish there was more I could do."

"No, you've done a lot," Hermione replied shakily. Her lip quivered and she tried to not completely break down. "I'm not stupid. I know some doctors would never be this attentive towards my father because of his status. You and your nurses have been so kind and helpful."

Doctor Quill looked taken back as Hermione spoke. "T-thank you," he stammered, sounded awed. "There still is so much we can't do, but you _have_ to believe me when I say we've been trying."

Hermione nodded. They had heard of the doctor's kindness towards the lower castes just before her father had to be taken to the hospital. It was one of the reasons why they decided to send her father so far away and work so hard pay the ridiculous medical fees. "There wouldn't happen to be a payment plan or something that could be set up after the surgery?"

Doctor Quill hissed through his teeth and she knew she wasn't going to like his answer. "We do," he admitted, "but the plans only extend to Fours and up."

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and again anger chorused through her. He stayed with her as she started crying in earnest, grabbing clean tissues for her as she sobbed. Once she was able to compose herself, she managed to ask, "What do you suggest we do now?"

"Right now, I would make sure he is as comfortable as possible. If you believe he would be more comfortable at home then we can discharge him, but I don't recommend it."

"No, keep him here," Hermione sniffed, wiping her nose with the soggy tissue. Another clean one was offered to her and she gave a watery smile. "He's being cared for the best here. Does he know?"

Doctor Quill nodded sadly, "He knows."

Hermione felt a fresh onslaught of tears hit her at that information. She bowed her head, trying to keep them at bay. There was one more question she wanted to ask and was absolutely terrified of the answer. But, it had to be asked; she knew that. Licking her lips, she steeled herself, "How long does he have?"

"With the way everything has been progressing, I would say about four months."

Doctor Quill apologized again but Hermione waved him off. The man was doing everything in his power to make her father as comfortable as possible; she was already in debt to him.

The time came all too soon for Hermione to leave so she could catch her bus. It was hard to leave her father, especially knowing now that he was terminally ill, but she knew she couldn't afford any hotels in the area. As she hugged her father goodbye and promised she would visit more often, he said nothing about her obviously puffy eyes and bright red nose. A kiss, a thank you to the nurse and doctor, and she was on her way.

Tears flowed freely once Hermione was situated on the bus. She leaned down, resting her forehead against her knees as powerful, silent sobs wracked her body. The raw pain was overwhelming and suffocating to her. Her father was _dying_ and there was _nothing_ she could do to help. What got to her the most was that there were obviously some ways to treat her father, but the caste system prevented the doctor from doing so.

Hermione's pain slowly grew into anger and she had to restrain herself from kicking the seat in front of her. Her father was a living, breathing person – they _all_ were – but it was a number that they had to identify by.

Hermione's mind went to the Creevey boys, the youngest – Dennis – in particular. She remembered the day the boy had been caned for stealing a loaf of bread because he was hungry and his parents couldn't afford to eat that day. She remembered his screams and how she and Molly had to console Mrs. Creevey when she realized she couldn't afford to take her child to see a doctor. A child, not yet ten, bore terrible scars all because he was a Fifth District Five.

With renewed resolve, Hermione sat up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She reached down into her bag and grabbed the small stack of papers that seemed to weigh the bag down. She pulled them out, grabbing the pen she had tossed in as well, and straightened the papers out on her knees.

She began the Drawing application process by writing down her name. She knew the chances of her being picked were one in a million, but if there was even a _slight_ chance there was a way for Hermione to get the money for her father's surgery, then she sure as hell would take it.

There seemed to be a silent agreement between Hermione and her mother when she returned home that evening. Her mother had been waiting for her and just opened her arms when Hermione walked through the door. Hermione rushed to her mother and they collapsed to the floor, sobbing, but refusing to speak about what they both knew would happen eventually. Hermione's mother chanted 'it'll be okay' over and over again as she stroked her daughter's hair.

"I'll do it." Hermione pulled back and took a deep breath, "I'll enter the Drawing."

Her mother's eyes widened. She cupped Hermione's cheek and shook her head. "You don't have to," she protested. "I know how against it you are."

"We _need_ the money," Hermione insisted, her eyes hard. "It's a snowball's chance in hell that I'll be picked but I _have_ to try."

Her mother stared at her with a proud look in her eyes. She finally nodded. "Let's fill out your application and tomorrow morning we'll go take it in."

 **[o][o][o]**

"Here, wear this," Hermione's mother suggested, holding up a pretty brown tunic that _actually_ looked new.

"Where did you get that?" Hermione asked, staring at the article of clothing in surprise Although they could afford new clothes when her father had still been working, they always bought second hand so there would be extra money put away. Seeing something in such good condition threw Hermione through a loop.

"I got this years ago," her mother said wistfully, staring at the shirt with a faraway look in her eyes. "It was just after I was given permanent work at the salon and I just _had_ to treat myself. But once I saw how dirty I got working there, I decided not to wear it to work and never had the opportunity to wear it since."

Hermione took the tunic from her and quickly changed into it. She looked down, smoothing the fabric with her hands. "Thanks, it means a lot."

"It looks beautiful on you," her mother beamed proudly. She pointed to the bed and told Hermione to sit down, climbing onto the bed behind her to work on Hermione's hair. "It's too bad I didn't have have some Sleekeazy for your hair, it would look so lovely."

"Why do anything with my hair?" Hermione asked, wincing as her mother worked on a knot. "I'm just dropping off the application."

"Haven't you heard?" her mother asked, pausing to lean over and look at her daughter. "They take pictures of all girls applying so the _Hogwarts Express_ can show it when the girls are picked. The salon has been constantly busy since Monday afternoon."

Hermione briefly wondered why Molly or Ginny hadn't mentioned that fact when she had visited them after finishing up with her application. She shrugged it off and forgot about it altogether when her mother pulled on another knot in her hair.

An hour later, Hermione stood in line to get into the post office behind a girl who was dressed in a pretty yellow sundress. It took another hour for Hermione to finally get to the front of the line. Just as the yellow sundress skipped her way to the photographer, Hermione's mother her spun her around, giving her one last look over.

"Give me your smile," she said seriously.

Hermione was tempted to make some sort of remark but decided against it, knowing her mother wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. With a sigh, she straightened her posture and gave a small, closed mouth smile.

"It'll do," her mother sighed, spinning her back around and pushing her forward as the photographer called for the next girl.

 **[o][o][o]**

 **AN: Holy shit-snacks, guys! I cannot believe the love and support The Drawing got for its first chapter! YOU ALL ARE AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU. Yes, even you.**

 **The next chapter should be up within a week or two if everything goes to plan. Another plot bunny has been nagging and hounding me while writing this story so I'm trying to divide my spare time to write both. Y'all might be getting a Walking Dead fanfic in the coming weeks too.**

 **See you on the flip side,**

 **HP.**


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **The Drawing**

 **Chapter Three**

"Oh good, you're here."

Ginny yanked Hermione into the house and slammed the door behind her; Hermione would've laughed if she wasn't such a bundle of nerves. She was quickly ushered into the living area where the rest of the Weasley family was waiting, taking a seat next to Ron and giving him a small smile. Ginny began pacing in front of the radio, wringing her hands anxiously. Ron nudged Hermione with his elbow and rolled his eyes at his sister. On a regular day, Hermione would've joined in on the ribbing of Ginny. But tonight, Hermione couldn't blame Ginny for her nervous pacing, nor could she blame Molly for her non-stop chattering.

After all, tonight was the night the women of the Drawing would be picked.

Hermione desperately wished that her mother could be there with her. Unfortunately, she had to work that night. The salon she worked at was throwing a big party for everyone who worked there because of the amount of employees that had applied for the Drawing. And, because the salon already had a bunch of Fives working for them, they decided to forgo hiring more Fives and just used the ones they had on staff. The salon also had a Telefloo so Hermione's mother would be one of the lucky few Fifth District Fives to be able to _watch_ the broadcast.

"-right, Hermione?"

"Huh?"

Hermione turned and saw Ron looking at her with an annoyed expression. "Really?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I didn't think _you_ ' _d_ go all crazy over this stupid thing."

" _Ronald_ ," Molly chastised at the same time as Ginny trilled, "It's _not_ stupid!"

"What?" Ron said defensively.

"How can you be so _insensitive_?" George piped up, sounding appalled.

Fred placed a hand over his chest, giving his younger brother an incredulous glare, "This is _the Drawing!_ "

"Knock it off," Molly snapped, giving her sons hard looks. "This is important to both Ginny and Hermione."

Hermione shot a grateful look to her friend as Ron scoffed again. Although Hermione didn't tell Molly much about her visit to her father, the older woman seemed to intuitively know what was going on. Instead of coddling Hermione like she had been afraid of, Molly didn't say anything on the matter but became fiercely protective of her whenever someone commented that entering the Drawing was uncharacteristic of Hermione.

Ginny gave her brothers a scathing look and continued her pacing around the room. Hermione stared at the ancient clock on the wall, her heart thudding painfully in her chest.

Ten minutes.

Five minutes.

The closer the large hand got to the top of the hour, the more Hermione began to panic. She _needed_ this. It wasn't like Ginny's situation where she would be fine if she wasn't selected. This was her last chance to save her father. If she wasn't picked, her father's fate was sealed.

At that thought, tears pricked at Hermione's eyes and her breath hitched.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked quietly, hearing the shift in Hermione's breathing.

"I – uh, yeah," she replied shakily, swallowing hard. "I'm just… I just _really_ want this."

Ron frowned and opened his mouth only to shut it quickly, glancing fearfully at his mother. He turned back to Hermione and stared at her with an intense expression. Finally, Ron nodded as if he came to some sort of conclusion and said softly, "I hope you get it, then."

Hermione smiled at him and exhaled loudly, glancing again at the clock.

One minute.

Thirty seconds.

Ginny's squeal made Hermione jump as the _Hogwarts Express's_ opening jingle began to play.

" _Gooooood evening ladies and gentlemen!"_ Lee Jordan cried out. There must have been a larger crowd than usual because his greeting was drowned out by cheers. He laughed merrily. " _Oh, I love this! The energy, the anticipation! Oooh, I'm getting excited."_

Again, the crowd went nuts. Ginny was practically vibrating as she waved her hand in an impatient manner, "Get on with it."

Molly shushed her.

" _Are you ready to witness history being made tonight?_ " Lee asked. Hermione felt herself begin to sweat. " _Now before we get to the main event, I was thinking it'd be nice for Prince Harry if his father gave him some words of wisdom."_

There was more cheering. Hermione's hands became so clammy she had to wipe them off on her pants.

" _Yes, put me on the spot_ ," King James replied dryly. There was laughter. He cleared his throat and there was a pause. " _I know how scary this is for you, son. I was terrified when I began my Drawing but it soon became one of the_ best _experiences of my life. My advice is to trust your gut. Don't over think things. If it feels right, then it is. People told me your mother wouldn't be the right fit as Hogwarts' queen, but I trusted my gut instinct and I have never regretted a single day since marrying your mother._ "

The crowd aww'd and Molly sighed. "Oh, I remember that," she smiled softly. "It was _so_ romantic."

George mock gagged and had a crumpled up piece of paper thrown at him.

" _Alright, let's start this!_ " Lee announced and again the cheers overpowered his voice. " _As you can see our set up is a bit different from usual. Each of these bowls contains the applications of many lovely women from each province. Prince Harry, all you have to do is select three envelopes from each bowl and read them out. Easy peasy. Who will we be starting with?_ "

" _Let's start with…"_ Prince Harry began. Hermione felt her knee begin to bounce, " _The province of Hufflepuff._ "

There was more cheering and a drumroll built up the tension. After a pause, Prince Harry announced, " _Miss Hannah Abbott – Three._ "

After the applause died down, the drumroll began again, " _Miss Alicia Spinnet – Two._ "

Hermione exhaled shakily. She wasn't sure she wanted to go through with this anymore.

" _Miss Susan Bones – Four_."

" _And that makes up our Hufflepuff drawings_ ," Lee called out over the applause, " _Next province, Your Majesty?"_

" _Let's go with Gryffindor._ "

Hermione felt physically ill as the drumroll began. Ginny bounced on the balls of her feet and glared at the radio, her brow scrunched up. No one spoke and Fred even leaned forward in anticipation as the drumroll reached its crescendo.

" _Miss Cho Chang –_ _Two._ "

Hermione managed a small look with Molly. They mainly worked over at the Chang residence but never saw the young woman.

" _Miss Hermione Granger – Fifth District Five_ ," Prince Harry sounded pleasantly surprised as he called out her name.

The Weasleys reacted immediately, Molly jumping up and rushing to Hermione, screaming the entire way. She pulled the young woman into a bone crushing hug as tears of relief poured from Hermione's eyes. Ron was shaking her arm and chanting, "You got it!"

Hermione couldn't believe her luck. Her entire body was shaking in Molly's hug. She had been chosen. _She had been chosen._

Her father would live.

"Quiet!" Ginny shouted. "There's still one more girl to be picked."

Hermione saw Molly purse her lips at her daughter's outburst. She leaned against her and closed her eyes, trying to control her emotions. At this point, she couldn't care less who else was picked.

Prince Harry chuckled, " _Miss Ginny Weasley –_ _Fifth District Five_."

Molly screamed right into Hermione's ear.

 **[o][o][o]**

Looking back, Hermione really couldn't remember much of what else happened that night. She was in too much shock to really know what was going on around her. All she cared about was that her father would be able to have the surgery. ' _He'll live_ ' ran through her head like a mantra.

She was only briefly aware of her mother kneeling in front of her, hugging her tightly. Indistinguishable words were said and the next thing Hermione knew, she was lying in her bed.

It was around noon when Hermione woke up the next day and it took her a little longer than usual to get dressed. She was still slightly dazed by the Drawing's outcome that it took her a moment to realize her mother wasn't alone at the kitchen table when she walked into the room. An impeccably dressed woman in a red pantsuit and perfectly styled hair looked completely out of place in their dingy little kitchen.

"Oh, Hermione!" her mother jumped up and ushered her to sit at the table. "This is Amelia Bones; she's here about the Drawing."

"Oh?" Hermione asked. A flash of fear went through her. Did they suddenly decide she wasn't allowed to participate? Did they decide to cut someone from Gryffindor and redraw because all three girls were from the same town? Many worst case scenarios sped through Hermione's mind as she waited fearfully for the woman to speak.

"First of all, I'd like to say congratulations," the woman, Amelia, gave a stiff smile. Hermione felt her fear lessen. "I'm here to help make the transition into your new life as smooth as possible."

"It's nice to meet you," Hermione smiled, relieved.

"I'll just be in the other room if you need me," Hermione's mother said and quickly retreated from the kitchen. "Have a good time today."

"Let's get started, shall we?" Amelia reached into a bag, pulled out a folder, and slid it across the table to Hermione. Hermione picked it up and opened it, seeing there were a few legal looking documents inside. "I'd like to get the legal stuff out of the way first so we can focus on more important things. If you'll read those and sign, we can be on our way."

Hermione picked up the pen that was given to her and quickly read over the documents. The first was a privacy clause that stated anything she learned about the royal family was to be kept secret and not discussed with anyone outside of the Drawing. The second document said she was to not harm or sabotage any of the other Drawing contestants. Failure to comply with either document would result in an immediate expulsion from the Drawing and possible jail time, as well as any punishment deemed necessary at the time. She signed both pages and handed them back to Amelia.

"Perfect," she said, stuffing them back into her bag. "We only have five minutes until our portkey leaves so if you want to get ready, do it quick."

"Portkey?" Hermione asked.

There was a quick flash of annoyance in Amelia's eyes. "Sorry, I forgot you aren't allowed to use magic. A portkey is a magical way of transportation. It'll give us more time in the city today."

"We're going to the city?" Hermione frowned. "I can't – I have work in a couple hours."

"Not anymore," Amelia said offhandedly. "I took the liberty of speaking with your boss and telling her you'll no longer be employed there."

"What?" Hermione cried. "You can't do that - we need the money!"

Amelia huffed and reached into her bag, pulling out an envelope and slapping it down onto the table. "Your weekly stipend begins now, Lady Hermione, don't worry."

Hermione glared at the pristine woman, her defenses up at the smug tone. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like her very much.

Amelia looked at her wristwatch and sighed. "Well you'll just have to go to the city like that - we don't have time for you to change." Hermione glanced down at her clothes; they were what she usually wore on a daily basis. She flushed, feeling insulted. Amelia pulled out a wooden block from her bag and held it out.

Hermione stared at the block, unsure of what she was supposed to do. Amelia jostled it and said, "Grab onto it, we only have a minute left."

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, hesitantly reaching out and grasping the block. She felt foolish holding onto it and wondered if this was some prank Amelia had decided to play on her. Before she could open her mouth to voice that thought, the room suddenly began to spin violently and Hermione felt a tug come from her stomach. The next thing she knew, she was skidding across the floor of what looked like some sort of office.

Amelia didn't stumble at all and walked over to a large basket filled with random objects, dropping the wooden block into it. She glanced at Hermione, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Hermione responded. She got up from the floor shakily, brushing herself off. The shock of being moved so suddenly was beginning to wear off and a small sense of accomplishment replaced it. She had used a magical object and it was done _legally!_

Amelia opened the door and walked out of the room, beckoning Hermione to follow her. She hurried after the older woman and noticed with a start that they were now in the reception area of St. Mungo's hospital.

"What are we doing here?"

"We're getting your medical exam out of the way," Amelia explained.

"Miss Granger!" The head nurse bolted up from her desk and rushed over to the couple. She looked like she was restraining herself from grabbing hold of Hermione as she gushed, "Oh my goodness, I can't believe it! Congratulations!"

"Um, thanks." Hermione felt herself flush. A hush fell over the room as people turned to look at them.

Amelia cleared her throat. "I believe we set up an appointment for Lady Hermione earlier…?"

The nurse turned a pretty shade of pink and sputtered out an apology, hurrying back to her desk. She picked up a file. "Yes, you did. Doctor Gustoff was called away for an emergency so it may take a little longer than you expected."

"Can I see Doctor Quill instead?" Hermione blurted out. Amelia looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "He's been amazing with my father. I trust him."

Amelia looked like she wanted to argue but instead nodded reluctantly, "Fine, only if he's quick about it."

Five minutes later Hermione was sitting in an exam room, glancing around at the different medical posters on the wall. She desperately wanted to visit her father but had a feeling that would be pushing her luck with Amelia today. She'd just have to go another day now that she didn't have to work.

There was a knock at the door and Doctor Quill walked into the room, a huge smile on his face. "I can't believe it," he said in greeting, walking to the chair in front of Hermione and sitting down. "You, my dear, are one lucky woman."

"I can't believe it, either," Hermione replied with a shaky laugh. "This all feels like some sort of dream."

"Well, congratulations either way."

Hermione nodded and licked her lips. "About dad's surgery – I won't be able to pay for it right away but…"

Doctor Quill smiled softly and patted her knee. "I'll put him on the list as soon as we're finished here," he promised.

"Thank you," Hermione breathed.

Doctor Quill smiled at her and began to flip through her chart. "Let's get started on this, shall we?" he said. "I understand you're under a tight schedule."

Doctor Quill finished the examination and concluded that Hermione was as healthy as someone from Fifth District Five could be. With that bit of knowledge he sent her on her way, promising to stop into her father's room to share the good news with him.

Amelia stood up when she saw Hermione return, tossing the magazine she was reading onto the table. "Everything good?" she asked.

"Doctor Quill said I'm a bit underweight but otherwise healthy," Hermione reported.

"Good," Amelia nodded and then headed for the exit. Hermione followed after her, waving goodbye to the nurse as Amelia explained the rest of their day, "We'll be off to the spa next. The rest of the afternoon will be getting you prepared for the makeover next week. Then, if we have time, we'll get you some newer clothes that you can be photographed in."

"Wait – makeover?" Hermione asked incredulously. "What if I don't want a makeover?"

"That's not really your decision," Amelia shrugged. "There's a certain standard of personal hygiene that _must_ be followed. Not to mention you'll be in the public eye for _months_ , having your picture taken, being filmed for the _Hogwarts Express_ , and you'll be meeting some very influential – and powerful – people. We can't have you looking like a Fifth District Five now can we?"

"But I _am_ a Fifth District Five," Hermione protested.

Amelia turned and smiled at Hermione, although the smile looked more threatening than comforting. "Not anymore," she pointed out. "You are, as of today, a Two."

Once they reached the spa, Hermione was whisked away by three ladies. Amelia trailed after them, watching with cool eyes as Hermione was buffed, waxed, and plucked within an inch of her life. Every so often she'd interject before a spa technician did something that she didn't agree with.

"No, no. Don't put any nail polish on."

"She's to have _perfect_ skin."

"I want her eyebrows to be defined but leave us enough to work with next week for the final look."

"Leave her hair for now, I guess."

Finally after what seemed like _hours_ of torture, Hermione was placed in front of a mirror. She could admit that she looked more put together than she had before; although parts of her skin were bright red from the waxing and plucking she had to endure.

"Well, it's a start," Amelia said, nodding. She turned to the spa technicians and thanked them.

Hermione gritted her teeth. Her patience for the woman was running thin thanks to the thinly veiled insults Amelia shot at her throughout the entire afternoon. She forced herself to say nothing. It wouldn't do any good for her father if she lost her temper and got kicked out of the Drawing before it even began.

' _This is for dad_ ' became Hermione's mantra and she had a feeling she would be using it a lot in the upcoming months.

The sun was just starting to set when Hermione and Amelia left the spa. Amelia sighed, glancing at her wristwatch. "We have time for maybe one shop," she announced, turning around and walking away without making sure Hermione followed.

Hermione was led to a street filled with boutiques and followed Amelia into the first one. The bell jingled above the door merrily and a peppy looking young woman appeared at their side.

"Good afternoon," she chirped. Her high pitched voice grated on Hermione but she forced herself to smile. "How can I help you today?"

"We just need a few outfits for her – something plain yet classy."

The young woman nodded and turned to look at Hermione. She stared at her for a few seconds and then her eyes went wide with recognition. "You're Hermione Granger!" she all but squealed.

Hermione flinched at the pitch of her voice but nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"My name is Beth and it's _so_ nice to meet you." Beth grabbed Hermione's hand and shook it eagerly. She dropped her hand and sprinted off to the racks of clothing, pulling out different articles.

Hermione stared at Beth, not sure how to act towards the young woman. Beside her, Amelia smirked. "Get used to it," she muttered quietly. "You're a celebrity now."

Beth all but pulled Hermione into a change room and shoved the clothes at her, instructing her to put on the outfits and come out. Hermione put on the first dress, scrunching her nose up at the length of the skirt (it barely reached her thigh), and walked out.

"Absolutely not," Amelia said immediately and for once, Hermione was grateful for the pushy woman's input.

The next hour went on the in the similar fashion. Beth had brought Hermione many different outfits and most of them were vetoed almost as soon as Hermione stepped out of the change room. Amelia did decide on three outfits and they were soon paid for and out the door.

"This isn't coming out of my stipend, is it?" Hermione asked.

Amelia looked almost insulted at Hermione's question and scoffed, "Of course not – all this is provided by the royal family."

Hermione nodded and followed Amelia down the street. She noticed a sleek, black car waiting at the end of the block and frowned once she realized Amelia was headed straight for it. "We aren't taking a portkey back?"

"I didn't know how long this afternoon would take," Amelia said. A man jumped out of the car, dressed smartly in a black suit, and took the bags from Hermione. "We'll be driving back tonight."

"Oh," Hermione fought the disappointment that swelled in her. She wanted to experience magic again. The man put the bags into the boot of the car and then ran around to the side, opening the door for them.

Amelia got into the car and Hermione followed after her. She'd never been in a car before and was slightly surprised at the amount of room they had in the back seat. She watched Amelia put on her seatbelt and quickly did the same. The driver got back into the car and drove off.

"You're lucky we found everything you needed at that one shop," Amelia commented idly.

Hermione nodded, extremely thankful. That afternoon was an experience she _never_ wanted to go through again. "Will I be seeing you tomorrow?"

"Of course," she said, frowning at Hermione. "You'll have someone with you every day. If it's not me, it'll be either Peter or Filius. We only have five days to get you somewhat ready."

"Is there really _that_ much work I have to do before I leave?" Hermione asked dubiously

"I don't think you understand the disadvantage you have right now," Amelia said.

"What do you mean?"

"You have had to serve people your entire life. You've been pushed to the side, taught not to draw attention to yourself, and let others take the spotlight for things you may have accomplished. Am I wrong?"

Hermione didn't respond and just stared at Amelia.

"That _can't_ happen when the Drawing begins. Those girls are out for blood and will sense your weakness within _seconds_. They'll make your life a living Hell."

"So all of those little jabs you took at me today were just to prepare me for that?" Hermione scoffed.

Amelia looked like she wanted to argue with Hermione but instead closed her eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths. "If you don't understand how the higher castes are supposed to act, you'll be gone within the first week," she said, sounding like she was forcing herself to stay calm. "How are you going to pay for your father's surgery then?"

Hermione's eyes widened and she stared opened mouthed at the woman. "How did you – "

Amelia gave a patronizing smile. "Do you _really_ think the royal family didn't look into everyone's background?" she asked condescendingly. "Prince Harry might not know about your father but believe me when I say _all_ of the royal advisors do. It took them no time at all to piece together why you entered."

Hermione glared at Amelia but didn't respond. She felt backed into a corner and didn't know how to proceed.

"Believe it or not, Lady Hermione, I'm trying to help you," Amelia said in a softer voice. Hermione wasn't sure she believed her. "The lower castes that were chosen are at a severe disadvantage and it just wouldn't be fair if nothing was done to prepare them. It was decided that anyone under Three would get proper training - a crash course in royal etiquette, if you will."

"And I suppose all this is under the privacy contract I signed earlier," Hermione said dryly.

"I knew you were a smart girl," Amelia smirked. "We just want Fives and Fours to be on the same level as Threes. That way you won't make any crucial errors. And before you ask, yes it _is_ a popularity contest," she said before Hermione could interrupt her. "If you say or do something that is questionable and you're well-liked by the public, it will be seen as quirky or brave. If you aren't well-liked, well…" Amelia trailed off and shrugged.

Hermione sat back and digested everything that had been said to her. The Drawing was sounding more and more like a political battle than anything else. She wasn't sure how to get people to like her – she wasn't even sure she _wanted_ them to like her. But she had to try.

Amelia produced her wand and waved it, making Hermione jump. A large stack of papers appeared out of thin air and she stared, awestruck at them. Hermione wasn't privy to watching magic often and she felt a longing to see it again.

"I want you to read these over until you have them memorized," Amelia instructed, handing over the large stack.

Hermione looked down and saw a small picture of a pretty blonde woman. The name underneath the picture read Hannah Abbott.

"Are these the Drawing applications?" Hermione asked.

"Each girl is given them to study. Some won't do more than look at the pictures, but I highly recommend you study them. You can tell a lot about these girls from their answers. And you know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Hermione nodded and settled in, looking down at Hannah's picture once again. There was certain innocence about her with her twinkling blue eyes and pink cheeks. As Hermione read through Hannah's answers to the questionnaire, she noticed that they sounded extremely generic. Hannah loved girly things, disliked gross things, and her idea of a perfect date was a candlelit dinner on a balcony underneath the stars.

Turning the page, Hermione looked at the picture of the next girl, Alicia Spinnet. She didn't have a beauty by society's standards, but her brown eyes surrounded by dark, lush eyelashes gave her a striking appearance. In a stark contrast to Hannah, Alicia was tomboyish in her answers and fiercely loyal. Hermione smirked at Alicia's perfect date; an afternoon spent racing broomsticks.

Hermione turned the page to the next girl, a pretty redheaded woman with an uncertain smile. She frowned as she read the name, "Susan _Bones?_ "

Amelia jumped at the sudden exclamation, "Excuse me?"

"Your last name is Bones too, right?" Hermione asked, holding up Susan's picture.

"Yes, it is," Amelia said, sounding surprised. "Susan is my niece if you must know."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Why aren't you helping her then? She's a Four, right? Won't she be getting the 'crash course' as well?"

Amelia looked slightly flustered at Hermione's question. A small part of Hermione felt gleeful as she watched the woman quickly try to compose herself. "I wanted to," she admitted. "But others thought I would give her an unfair advantage so I was assigned to Gryffindor instead."

Hermione nodded and went back to staring at Susan's picture. Amelia's hostility towards her was a bit clearer now. In Amelia's eyes, she was helping her niece's enemy.

Hermione swallowed and sat back, watching as the countryside sped by.

What had she gotten herself into?

 **[o][o][o]**

By the end of the week, Hermione was convinced it was Amelia's main objective to make her life as miserable as possible. The older woman was relentless, spewing all sorts of different facts about the rules and regulations of royal etiquette that Hermione just didn't care about. She highly doubted she would be ostracized for not knowing the difference between a salad fork and a dinner fork, but Amelia thought otherwise.

It took two days until Hermione finally managed to get a grasp on what she was being taught. She was happy it was over; there were only a few days left until she was to go to the palace and surely mastering the materials meant she had time to visit her father.

Oh, how wrong Hermione was.

"It's one thing to know, but doing is an entirely different game," Amelia snipped, ignoring Hermione's groan of protest.

The curtsying was the _worst_. Hermione didn't think it would be such a hard thing to master; after all she was just bending her knees. However, after an entire afternoon of practicing the motion, she concluded she was absolutely horrid at it. It had been so bad at one point that Amelia lost her temper, throwing her pen down onto the floor and yelling, "You're supposed to be curtsying, not popping a squat for God's sake!"

It was to Hermione's great relief _hours_ later that she had finally mastered the curtsy. She sat down on the couch, her thigh muscles screaming at her, and ran a hand through her hair. Amelia looked pleased and was gathering up her things. "I'll let you rest for the night," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "But I do want you to go over the applications a couple of times."

Hermione nodded. She had gone over them so many times she felt like she knew the girls already. But Hermione learned it was best not to argue with what Amelia told her and just go with it.

"Oh, Peter will be here instead of me tomorrow. He'll be going over revision but he's a lot harsher than I am, so be prepared."

Peter was a greasy little man that reminded Hermione of a rat. She had disliked him almost instantly when he arrived at her house and banished her mother from the living area, saying that she was a distraction. Hermione could tell he had a lot of self-importance and it didn't matter how many times Hermione had told him Amelia went over things, he believed the woman had done it wrong and insisted on going over it again _just to make sure_.

Hermione didn't think she'd ever see the day when she wished Amelia was there.

"Now Lady Hermione," Peter said, his watery little eyes taking in her appearance. They had finally finished for the day and Hermione wanted nothing more than to get the man out of her house. "There are some… _legal_ details I wish to clarify with you."

"You mean about the royal family's privacy?"

"Well, in a way." Peter's smile sent a chill down Hermione's spine. "Now that you are part of the Drawing, you're considered to be the royal family's _personal_ property."

A sense of fear flickered at the base of Hermione's skull and she straightened up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, my dear girl, if a member of the royal family were to _ask_ anything of you… well, you wouldn't exactly be allowed to say _no_ , now would you?" Peter gave a slimy smile and dipped his head. "Just thought I'd let you know. Oh. And consider this part of the privacy clause as well. Have a good night, my lady."

Hermione collapsed onto the sofa as Peter let himself out, her eyes wide and unseeing in front of her. Did Peter mean what she thought he meant? Her pulse quickened and she swallowed hard. Prince Harry didn't seem like that type of person. He would never try anything like that on her, right?

Hermione wasn't feeling too sure about the answer.

Amelia noticed Hermione's darkened mood when she returned the next day. She kept asking Hermione what was wrong but Hermione brushed her off, instead focusing on everything Amelia had taught her. She managed to avoid answering her questions until the final day before Hermione was to leave for the palace.

"If you're going to act like this all the time you're not going to stand a chance," Amelia hissed. " _What_ is going on in that head of yours?"

"It's nothing," Hermione lied quickly. "I'm just worried I'll forget something or mess up."

Hermione could tell Amelia didn't believe her answer. She pursed her lips and frowned at the young woman. "Remember what I've been teaching you and you won't," she hissed angrily. "But you better shape up or you can say goodbye to the money for your father's surgery."

Hermione winced and nodded, looking down at her hands.

"I know there's a big dinner planned for you and Lady Ginny so you best get ready for it," Amelia said flatly. "But make sure to get plenty of rest, I'll be here at eight tomorrow morning and we catch the train at nine."

Amelia turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, the door slamming loudly behind her.

"Hermione?" Hermione's mother asked, entering the room cautiously. Hermione's lower lip began to quiver but she refused to let the tears fall. She had cried so much within the past couple of weeks and she wouldn't allow herself to continue. She had to be strong if she was going to do this. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

Hermione shook her head, allowing a single tear to drop. She quickly wiped it away and stood up. "Just feeling a little overwhelmed," she answered, allowing her mother to pull her into hug.

"You're going to be amazing," her mother whispered loyally, sounding a bit choked up herself, "Prince Harry is going to love you."

Hermione snorted and pulled away from her mother. "Somehow I doubt that," she replied. She turned and went into her bedroom to change for what she knew would be the last dinner at the Weasleys for a very long time.

 **[o][o][o]**

 **AN: Hey guys! I'm back. So sorry for the delay - I've been working three jobs and it's been pretty crazy. Things have slowed down now so yay! Again, I can't thank you guys enough for all the love and support you've been giving me. Like, holy crap. Amazing. All of you.**

 **Are you guys ready to meet a certain prince next chapter? I know I am.**

 **I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Christmas!  
**

 **HP.**


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Alan Rickman who unfortunately lost his battle with cancer this morning. Let's raise our wands up high for what an amazing man and actor he was. He will be missed. Always.**

 **The Drawing**

 **Chapter Four**

Hermione knew she would always remember standing on the train platform with Ginny for the rest of her life, staring out into the sea of people while the mayor droned on with his speech. The cheers coming from the crowd were ones that were usually reserved for celebrities. Posters and signs that held well wishes for the two women were waved around. It was all very overwhelming.

Ginny had been all smiles and waves, eating up all the attention and the crowd loved it. Hermione, on the other hand, was a bit more reserved. The idea of putting herself out there to have people like her was absolutely terrifying and she fought the urge to run the entire time she had been up on that platform. Still, she knew she'd face the wrath of Amelia if she didn't at least try. A small smile and a simple wave was all the crowd got.

After the mayor concluded his long winded speech, Amelia announced it was time to say goodbye to their families. Hermione immediately turned into her mother, burying her face into the crook of her neck. "I am so proud of you," her mother whispered. She pulled back and gazed lovingly at her daughter. "Your father sends his love and said to tell you how proud he is as well."

Hermione smiled at this, the feeling bittersweet. She had wanted to see her father before leaving for the capital but Amelia's tight scheduling made it impossible for her to do so. She had promised Hermione there were phones at the palace she could use to talk to her father. Hermione was going to hold the woman to that.

Hermione's mother gave one her one last squeeze before letting go of her and hurrying over to Ginny. Molly appeared in front of Hermione and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I'm rooting for the both of you," she said, looking proudly at Hermione. "Be good and try to keep Ginny from making a fool of herself."

"I'll try," Hermione laughed. "But you know how hard that can be."

Molly grinned and stepped aside as Ron approached her, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I'd hug you but I don't want Prince Harry thinking you're cheating on him," he joked with a grin. Something twisted in Hermione's gut when she saw that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" she retorted weakly.

"Good luck, Hermione," he said.

"Thanks."

An awkward silence followed and Hermione was glad when Amelia announced it was time to leave. Hermione's mother gave her one last hug and then handed her the small suitcase she was bringing with her.

Hermione and Ginny waved one last time to the crowd and then stepped onto the train. They had an entire train car to themselves that was decked out in the red and gold Gryffindor had been known for. Plush sofas and chairs were placed all over and there was even a bar equipped with its very own bartender. A beautiful, ornate table was situated in the middle of the room surrounded by high back chairs.

Hermione quickly dropped her suitcase and hurried to the window, pushing it open. Sticking her upper body out, she waved at her mother and the Weasleys as the train jolted into motion. She gave them a final wave before pulling back into the car.

"I suggest you ladies get some rest while you can," Amelia stated. She sat down in one of the plush chairs and pulled out a book. "You'll have a busy day when we arrive."

"I don't think I could rest if I tried," Ginny laughed. She placed her large suitcase by Hermione's and went to a pair of sofas by a window. Hermione followed the redhead and sat down on the sofa opposite of her, watching as the train began to pick up speed.

The bartender suddenly appeared and held out a tray filled with glasses of water. Hermione and Ginny accepted their drinks and the man retreated before Hermione could even thank him.

"That's going to take some getting used to," she said, taking a sip.

"Tell me about it," Ginny nodded. She set the glass down on the side table and smoothed out her beige skirt.

Hermione leaned back against the sofa and looked out the window, watching as the scenery sped by. They had traveled through their small town and were now speeding along the country side. Hermione blinked lazily. The sway of the train slowly began to lull her to sleep and her eyes stayed closed a little bit longer each time she blinked. After about ten minutes of fighting it, Hermione succumbed to sleep.

When Hermione opened her eyes, she saw the sofa Ginny had been on was now empty. She yawned and sat up, looking around the car. Ginny and Amelia were sitting at the fancy table and Ginny was pestering the other woman about the palace and the royal family.

"What's the prince _really_ like?" she asked, leaning forward on the table.

"You'll see when you meet him later," Amelia replied patiently. It looked like she had long abandoned her book and was now staring at Ginny with an amused expression.

"Oh come on," Ginny cajoled. She glanced up and saw that Hermione was now awake, "Hermione! You're with me on this, right?"

Hermione got up and walked over to the table. "Sure?" she shrugged, sitting down beside Ginny. "How long was I out?"

"About three hours," Ginny replied, looking at Amelia for confirmation. "Thanks for leaving me to fend for myself by the way."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I'm so sorry I wasn't awake to entertain you."

"Eh," Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned back to Amelia. "Can't you tell us anything? Just one detail."

"Fine, fine," Amelia relented, rolling her eyes. Ginny leaned forward eagerly and even Hermione couldn't stop herself from perking up. "Prince Harry is a good mix of his mother and father."

"You cheated!" Ginny began to sputter, making Amelia laugh.

"You said one detail," she pointed out, her eyes twinkling. This was the happiest Hermione had ever seen Amelia and it was slightly unsettling to her. She was used to the snappy, harsh woman who had been instructing her for the past week. "It's not _my_ fault you don't know the king or queen."

Hermione couldn't stop herself from chuckling at the sour expression on Ginny's face. Amelia checked her wristwatch and stood up, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go check on Lady Cho."

"Cho's here?" Ginny asked. "Why haven't we seen her?"

Amelia looked uncomfortable at the question. "Lady Cho requested a separate car when she learned we'd all be traveling together," she explained. "I'll be back later."

Hermione rolled her eyes, watching as Amelia rushed out of the car. Beside her, Ginny visibly deflated. She stared down at the table with a frown marring her pretty features.

"Don't let it get to you, Gin," Hermione said, trying to reassure her friend. "You know how the Changs are."

"I know," Ginny sighed. "I guess I thought it might be different now that we're all Twos."

Hermione highly doubted that would be the case. The Changs were the type of family who considered their caste as something that defined them. Hermione had heard how awful Second District Fives were treated in that household and wasn't naïve enough to think Cho's mentality would suddenly change just because they were in the same competition.

"If the other Twos are like that, we're in for a really rough time," Ginny grumbled.

"You can't think like that," Hermione protested. "Prince Harry decided to have this Drawing for all castes for a reason. It's not going to be easy – for _anyone_. You just have to show them that you aren't intimidated by them. Let them see that you have the same chance any _Two_ or _Three_ has."

"Yeah," Ginny said slowly, perking up. Her brown eyes shone with determination. "You're right."

"Of course I am," Hermione scoffed. Ginny laughed.

"Thanks, Hermione," she said after a moment. "I don't know what came over me."

"This has been one huge stress after another," Hermione said, leaning back into her chair. "I don't think you're the first person to have doubts and I _know_ you won't be the last."

"Have you had any doubts?"

"This entire process has been one huge doubt," Hermione muttered, shaking her head. "But I'm here so I may as well make the best of it."

Ginny nodded and stood up, going over to her suitcase. Hermione watched as she opened it and pulled out the large stack of papers that she recognized as the Drawing applications. Ginny returned to the table and began to study the pages.

Sensing that the conversation was over, Hermione went to her own suitcase and pulled out the paperback novel she had brought with her. She sat in one of the cushy chairs near a window and cracked open the book.

The two girls were silent for a little under a half hour when Ginny suddenly announced, "We should make a pact."

"A pact?" Hermione looked up and frowned at her friend. "What do you mean?"

"Well, call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that the Drawing will get really…" she trailed off, trying to find the word.

"Intense?"

"Bat shit crazy," Ginny said dryly. Hermione laughed. "I think we should agree that no matter what happens, we won't allow jealousy or anything else get in the way of our friendship."

"Yeah, I like that," Hermione agreed immediately.

"We were friends first and we'll stay that way," Ginny nodded. She looked back down at the pages in front of her and hummed. "We'll have to figure out who to make alliances with pretty soon. I'm thinking maybe Luna or Hannah."

Hermione sat back, extremely amused, and watched as the redhead mulled over the different pages. Ginny looked up after a moment, feeling Hermione's gaze on her. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you take anything so seriously before," Hermione replied, smirking.

Ginny went bright red almost instantly, "Shut up, Hermione."

 **[o][o][o]**

It was another hour until Hermione felt the train begin to slow down. She and Ginny shared a look and scrambled over to the windows. From their position, they couldn't see the castle. They could however, see the city. The streets were decorated with bright and festive colours as they passed, filled with people.

The car door opened and Amelia entered, followed by an extremely gorgeous Asian woman. Cho Chang had an exotic beauty that Hermione would have been intimidated by if it weren't for the ugly scowl she wore.

"Look alive, ladies," Amelia called out. "We'll be at the station in about five minutes and then off to the palace. There's a lot to do in very little time so we mustn't dawdle."

Amelia excused herself to go talk with the guards. Cho stood by the door, arms crossed over her chest, and not bothering to hide her disdain of being in the same room as Hermione and Ginny. Ginny looked like she wanted to try and say something to the woman, but looked too intimidated to do anything.

Cho's attitude wasn't exactly a surprise to Hermione, in fact, she expected it. She could already tell that Cho would be one of the girls they would struggle with in the competition. With a deep breath, Hermione strode up to Cho, ignoring Ginny's hiss of, " _What are you doing?_ "

"It's nice to meet you," Hermione put on her best smile and stuck out her hand, looking Cho directly in the eye, silently daring her not to respond. "My name is Hermione Granger."

Cho kept her arms crossed and glanced down at Hermione's hand, her lip curling up in a sneer. She glanced back up at her and somehow managed to look down her nose at her even though she was a good couple of inches shorter than Hermione. "Cho Chang," she sniffed. "But I'm sure you knew that already."

Ginny, seeming to gain confidence from Hermione, walked up to the pair as Hermione dropped her hand. She only offered a smile. "I'm Ginny."

Cho raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, scoffed and then turned away just as the train came to a halt. Amelia returned moments later, "Showtime! Leave your bags here and follow me."

Cho had already walked off before Amelia finished her sentence, her head held high. Hermione was suddenly glad that Cho had requested a separate car; she didn't think she could've handled her for the five hour train ride.

"What a cow," Ginny whispered to her, scowling after Cho.

Hermione and Ginny stepped out onto the platform and were greeted with what looked to be hundreds of people. Cho had transformed from the scowling, sneering harpy into a beautiful, confident young woman, waving at the crowd with an almost royal air to her.

Hermione glanced at her as she stepped up beside her. She knew she'd have to watch her back with the beauty; the woman was dangerously good at putting on a false face. Deciding to ignore Cho for now, Hermione turned out towards the crowd and raised a hand to wave at them. Being in front of the crowd wasn't any easier than it was before, but she would be damned to let such a woman show her up.

Hermione couldn't believe how many screams of 'Lady Hermione' she heard or the multiple posters and signs that held her name. After a few minutes, Amelia ushered the three women down the steps of the platform.

A sleek looking limousine was waiting for them about a hundred feet away. There was a deep red carpet starting from the stairs of the platform and going all the way down to the open door of the limousine. Fences on either side of the carpet kept the crowd at bay, although many people looked like they were being pushed up against them. Guards were stationed every few feet, their eyes scanning the crowd before them.

Cho owned the carpet, immediately strutting down the middle of it and waving to people on either side of her. She made sure she kept in front of Hermione and Ginny at all times. Hermione and Ginny shared an exasperated look and strolled after her, both of them content being side by side.

A small book tumbling to the ground in front of them caught Hermione's attention. Without missing a beat, Cho stepped over the book and continued on walking, ignoring it completely. A small girl of about eleven or twelve was trying to reach down and grab the book but wasn't able to because of the crowd pushing up behind her.

Hermione paused by the book and bent down, picking it up and handing it to the little girl with a smile, "Here you go."

The little girl looked up with wide, shocked blue eyes as she clutched the book to her chest. "Thank you," she whispered, red tinging her cheeks.

Hermione grinned at the girl and turned away. She made it a few feet when she heard the little girl call out, "Wait!"

Hermione turned around and saw the book was now outstretched in one hand and a pen was in the other. "Can I have your autograph?"

Hermione felt herself freeze, heat rushing to her cheeks as all around the little girl people began asking for autographs as well. "You want _my_ autograph?" Hermione repeated, staring at the little girl in shock. Amelia gently nudged her towards the girl. Hermione tilted her head, unable to stop the words coming out of her mouth, "Why?"

"Because you're Lady Hermione," she responded slowly, as if explaining something simple to a very small child.

Hermione swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat and nodded. She gingerly took the book and opened it to the front page, grabbing the pen and quickly signing her name. She paused for a moment and then wrote ' _thank you_ ' underneath her signature before handing the book and pen back to the little girl.

Things were suddenly pushed towards Hermione as people began asking for autographs. Hermione gave a short laugh of disbelief, feeling extremely humbled, not to mention overwhelmed, and grabbed the magazine from the woman next to the little girl.

Hermione signed as many things as she could before Amelia appeared at her side and forced her to continue down the carpet. Ginny and Cho had already reached the limousine, although Ginny was the only one waiting for her.

"That was so awesome," Ginny grinned at Hermione as they got into the limousine. Amelia closed the door and the car drove off.

"I _cannot_ believe that happened," Hermione said, shaking her head and giving another laugh. "They wanted my _autograph_."

Cho looked absolutely livid and huffed loudly before she turned to stare moodily out the window. Hermione resisted rolling her eyes and turned to Amelia. "I'm sorry if I made us late," she apologized. "I just couldn't say no."

"Don't worry about it," Amelia brushed Hermione off. There was a smile on her face and if Hermione didn't know any better, she'd say it was a _proud_ smile.

The limousine drove over a large bridge and suddenly they were surrounded by rolling hills. Small buildings dotted the skyline and beyond that, a forest. Ginny's sharp intake of breath made Hermione turn and she couldn't keep the gasp from escaping.

Hogwarts castle was _massive_ and only seemed to grow in size as they got closer to it. The limousine stopped in a rounded driveway and the door to Hermione's right was suddenly opened. A guard extended his hand for Hermione to take and she grasped it, staring up at the castle as it loomed over them. Even Cho looked awestruck as she got out of the vehicle.

Amelia allowed the girls a moment to take in the castle before she walked briskly up to the large double doors. The doors swung open and she stepped inside. Hermione snapped out of her stupor and followed after the older woman.

The interior of the castle was warm and inviting, despite the stone walls and floors. Banners that held each province's colours and insignias tumbled down the walls. Lush red carpets branched out from the main hall and continued their paths to closed doors. What really caught Hermione's attention was the glass cases placed throughout the main hall filled with antiques. She wanted to stop and take a closer look at them but Amelia kept walking through the hall and towards another set of double doors.

Again, the doors opened up for her and Hermione could hear many people talking all at once. As Hermione followed Amelia into the room, the talking stopped and nine heads turned in their direction.

"Sorry we're late," Amelia called out. She motioned for Hermione, Ginny, and Cho to go further into the room as she walked over to another woman. There was a brief conversation and the other woman nodded. Amelia walked over to another set of closed doors (Hermione wondered just how many rooms were in the castle) and clapped her hands loudly.

"My name is Amelia Bones," she introduced herself. "I am one of Hogwarts' senior royal advisors and the lead tasker for this year's Drawing. Through these doors behind me is a room called the Ladies Room. It is where all of you will gather during the day when you have your lessons, as well as when you're entertaining guests, and be a place for you to relax if you so choose. Right now it's set up like a salon and each one of you has a station in there. A stylist and your head maid will help you decide on what you want to accomplish for your makeover and help get you dressed and ready for the rest of today. You'll have three hours for the makeover and then the Drawing begins."

Amelia pushed the doors opened and the girls sprinted into the next room. Hermione stayed back, not wanting to get into the line of fire. She saw Cho shove past two girls roughly as she called out, "Where is Cho Chang's station?"

Amelia stood in the doorway, watching everything unfold. She nodded at Hermione as she passed and then turned on her heel and left the room.

"Lady Hermione?"

Hermione's station was the one closet to the door. An extremely flamboyant looking man stood by a salon chair, his eyes roaming Hermione's frame. Beside him was a slender woman with choppy, short brown hair. She smiled as Hermione approached them and dipped into a curtsy, "My name is Tonks. I'll be your head maid while you're at the castle." She turned to the man who was still studying Hermione. "This is Antoni, he'll be your stylist."

"It's nice to meet you both," Hermione smiled. She felt nervous about the upcoming makeover, but something about Tonks' reassuring smile made her feel somewhat at ease.

"Come, come," Antoni said, motioning to the chair in front of him. "Let us begin."

 **[o][o][o]**

Even though Hermione was one of the last to get started with her makeover she was the first person finished a little over an hour later, and she was quite pleased with how everything turned out. Much to her dismay, she had to endure more waxing, buffing, and plucking but this time wasn't as bad as her first experience. Just like Amelia wanted, Antoni _redefined_ her eyebrows and then stared at her reflection in the mirror with a critical eye, picking up chunks of her hair and dropping them.

When she heard other stylists start to talk about chopping off lengths and dying hair different colours, there was a moment where Hermione almost turned tail and ran. She didn't have anything to worry about though. Both Tonks and Antoni agreed that her curly hair was a big feature on her and focused on giving her hair that had, as Antoni put it, "curls ladies would kill for."

Her curls were big and voluptuous, tumbling down just past Hermione's shoulder blades and bounced whenever she moved. Antoni had also given her a new spray for her hair that enhanced the brown colour. He pinned the sides of her hair up and then declared her hair "fit for a lady." The entire process took less than thirty minutes.

For makeup, Hermione was quite happy that very little was done in that aspect as well. Her upper eyelid was lined with midnight black eyeliner and topped off with mascara. A soft, rosy blush and glossy lip balm completed the look.

Antoni snapped his fingers and Tonks sprang into action, hurrying out of the station. She returned moments later, rolling in a large rack of clothing. Hermione's name was printed on a sign above it and Hermione couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "Are those all _my_ dresses?"

"These are only a small portion of your dresses," Tonks winked at her as Antoni thumbed through the selection. "Your evening wear is up in your room. Plus we have teams ready to make any garment you want if you so desire."

Hermione's eyes went wide as Antoni pulled a peach coloured dress off of the rack and held it up against Hermione's body. He nodded to himself and stood back as Tonks pulled the divider to their station shut. "Strip," Antoni commanded.

"W-what?" Hermione sputtered. She crossed her arms over her chest and took a step back. "I am _not_ undressing with people in the room."

Antoni huffed impatiently and rolled his eyes. "It isn't anything we haven't seen before."

"I don't care," Hermione replied, glaring. There was no way she was getting _naked_ in front of strangers.

Antoni returned the glare before pushing the garment into Hermione's hands. "Fine, but you have _exactly_ five minutes to get this on before we come back in – dressed or undressed."

"Thank you," Hermione sighed. Tonks gave her a reassuring smile before slipping out of the station.

"You'll have to get used to it if you want to become queen," Antoni snipped as he left.

Hermione bit back she didn't want to be queen in the first place and quickly changed into the dress. The fabric was soft and smooth against Hermione's skin – it felt wonderful. The skirt fell just above her knees and the square neckline was modest, the sleeves resting just above her elbows. As she examined herself in the mirror, the divider was snapped open.

"I like it," Tonks announced, handing her a pair of strappy sandals with a little kitten heel. As she and Antoni entered the station, another applicant walked past, wearing a very tight, very short dress.

"Are you sure this okay?" Hermione asked. She really liked the dress and was more than a little happy that she hadn't been given heels like the woman who had strutted past was in. "I thought this makeover would be a little more… drastic."

"Well if you wanted to change it we can. We have time," Tonks pointed out.

Antoni scoffed. "What's the use of showing all the goods right away? The purpose for this makeover is to set a baseline."

Hermione frowned at Antoni as Tonks bent down and put on her sandals, "What do you mean?"

The man shook his head, pursing his lips together. He walked over to where some accessories were laid out and picked up a silver necklace, holding it up and passing it to Tonks to put it on Hermione.

After that, Hermione was instructed to take a seat where a few sofas were situated by large, bay windows and wait for the other makeovers to be finished.

Twenty minutes later, the clacking of heels walking towards her drew Hermione from her thoughts. She glanced up and her eyes widened, "Whoa, Ginny."

The newly done up redhead grinned and struck a pose. "You like?" she asked.

Ginny's once wavy hair was now pin straight and fell to the middle of her back. Bold bangs framed her face and the dark eyeliner that lined her eyes gave quite the dramatic look against her pale skin. She was wearing a yellow sundress, which gave an air of innocence to her now grown up look.

"You look great," Hermione smiled.

"Thanks, you do too." Ginny sat down beside Hermione on the sofa and glanced around her. "This is some room."

Hermione nodded in agreement. The room was bright and open thanks to the huge windows along the wall.

Slowly women began to trickle out from their stations. Hermione noticed only a few girls decided to keep it simple like Hermione and Ginny had. Others, though, decided to go for quite the dramatic change. Hermione recognized Luna Lovegood, seeing she went from being a brunette to a light blonde.

A sting of pain made Hermione flinch as Ginny slapped her arm. She turned to her and glared, "What was that for?"

Ginny shook her head and pinched her lips together, looking at something over Hermione's shoulder. Hermione turned around to look at what had caught Ginny's attention and her eyes bulged.

She was unable to recognize who exactly it was that had just walked into the room. The woman's black hair was pulled back into a sleek, high ponytail. Her eyes were dark with heavy makeup and her blood red lips pulled into some sort of pout. The cream coloured evening dress she wore was obscenely tight and the neckline plunged so low that it bordered on scandalous. Hermione couldn't tell if she was naturally well-endowed or had a little help. Either way, the cut of the dress made it hard for anyone to look anywhere but her chest.

"Are you serious?" Hermione gaped at the woman.

"Is she _trying_ to knock herself out with her boobs?" Ginny muttered. Alicia Spinnet, who was standing just off to the side, heard her and snorted back a laugh.

"She does know we're meeting the queen, right?" Alicia walked over to Hermione and Ginny, shaking her head. The woman in question seemed to preen at all the attention that was on her and strutted through the room. "If she's looking to make a statement, it's certainly been made."

The brown skinned woman glanced one last time at her and shook her head, before turning to Hermione and Ginny, "I'm Alicia, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hermione."

"Oh I know," Alicia replied immediately. Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Everyone knows who you two are - the Fifth District Friends from Gryffindor."

"I didn't we had a name," Ginny said, glancing at Alicia warily.

Alicia shrugged, "Two Fives being in the Drawing is special enough. But the two of you being from Gryffindor _and_ friends? People notice."

"Great," Hermione replied dryly.

"Look alive, ladies!" Amelia called out as she walked back into the room. Hermione could tell the second she noticed the risqué woman. Amelia's eyes widened and then narrowed into tiny slits, her nostrils flaring. She took a few deep breaths as if she were trying to calm herself.

"We're about finished," she continued on. "When we call your name please go to the photographer for your 'after' photo. Once everyone is through, we'll head out."

Hannah Abbott was called and the pretty blonde woman practically skipped over to where the photographer had set up. One by one, the women had their names called and picture taken. The woman with the scandalous dressed turned out to be Daphne Greengrass from Slytherin. She strutted across the room once her name was called out with a smug look on her face. Out of the corner of Hermione's eyes, she saw Amelia put her face into her hands.

"Lady Hermione Granger."

Heads swivelled to look at her as she made her way across the room. She fought to keep the blush from her face. Alicia saying everyone knew her made her suddenly self-conscious as she felt the scrutinizing stares of some of the ladies.

"Smile, my lady," the photographer instructed once she reached him.

Hermione took a deep breath and gave a small smile. The camera clicked about five or six times and then Hermione was told to stand with the others who had had their picture taken already.

Daphne was standing with her arms crossed under her chest, making her already perky breasts even higher. Hermione fought to look everywhere but at Daphne, unable to stop herself from staring at her chest if she did. They were just so out there, practically screaming, ' _look at me!_ '

"So you're the Five," Daphne drawled.

"My name is Hermione," Hermione said. She quickly glanced at the taller woman and then averted her gaze. From across the room, she could see Ginny trying to hold back her laughter.

"Oh, you poor thing," Daphne gave a fake, exaggerated sigh. Hermione risked another glance at the woman. "Did they not have time for your makeover?"

Hermione's eyebrows shot up and she turned her head to glare at her. "Excuse me?"

"Well, your dress is a bit drab, isn't it?" Daphne explained. Her expression was one of concern but Hermione could see a slight hint of malice in her ice blue eyes, "Unless of course you're _going_ for the Fifth District look."

Hermione glared at Daphne and then turned back to look at Ginny. Her name had just been called and she flashed a bright smile. Beside Hermione, Hannah shifted uncomfortably.

When she saw Ginny had finished with her photo, Hermione stalked off towards her, not even bothering to respond to Daphne.

"You looked like you were about to kill her," Ginny giggled once they reached each other. Hermione grasped Ginny's arm and pulled her as far away from Daphne as possible as she told her what had been said.

"What is her deal?" Ginny asked, turning to glare at the woman once Hermione was finished. Daphne seemed to have moved on to Hannah and was now talking to her. The poor blonde girl was staring straight ahead, her posture stiff with discomfort. Hermione felt a twinge of guilt for leaving her alone with Daphne.

Once everyone had their pictures taken, Amelia led them out of the castle and into a beautiful garden. Hermione was suddenly very happy about the dress Antoni and chosen for her, it fit perfectly with the look of the garden around her. Photographers and a few cameramen mulled about the space.

"Your Majesty, the Queen," a voice from nowhere called out.

The doors opposite of them swung open and Queen Lily walked out into the garden. Hermione was momentarily stunned by the queen's beauty and grace. Her deep auburn hair was pulled to the side in a low ponytail and the curls tumbled over her shoulder. Her dress was a simple style that was almost similar to Hermione's and it fluttered lightly in the breeze as she walked. Her posture was perfectly straight and a serene smile was on her face.

Hermione suddenly remembered the rules Amelia had drilled into her all week and dropped into a curtsy. Only Amelia, Susan Bones, Cho, and another dark-skinned woman curtsied while the others looked on in shock. Hermione fought a frown; she thought Amelia had said everyone knew the 'basics of royal etiquette.'

"Welcome to Hogwarts castle," Queen Lily greeted them. Her voice was quiet but still held the authority that made Hermione stand up straighter. "I know it's been quite the day for all of you so I promise I'll keep this short. Today is all about you so please take as much time as you need to get acquainted with the castle and with your fellow Drawing members. You're free to roam anywhere as long as it isn't the west wing or the dungeons. If you want to go to the gardens or explore the grounds, all I ask is you take a guard with you – it's very easy to lose your way around here. I hope you have a wonderful evening and I will see you tomorrow."

Hermione wanted to ask "that's it?" but held her tongue as Queen Lily gave a small nod of her head and then glided back into the castle. Once the doors were securely shut, Amelia stepped to where the queen had been standing.

"We'll spend a while out here getting to know each other for the footage needed for the _Hogwarts Express_ and then we'll be off to dinner. After that, you'll be shown to your rooms and then your evening is free."

"Excuse me," a pretty blonde raised her hand in the air, looking hesitant.

"Yes, Lady Lavender?"

"Will we be meeting Prince Harry today?"

"You will all be officially meeting the royal family tomorrow," Amelia said. There was an unsettling smile on her face and Hermione swore she saw her eyes dart over to where Daphne was standing.

"So we just went through a three hour makeover just to have a two minute speech from the Queen?" Daphne asked, her hip jutting out defiantly.

"Not at all. You all just went through a three hour makeover so the _Hogwarts Express_ and the _Daily Prophet_ will have footage for their stories on the Drawing." Amelia's tone was so saccharine it reminded Hermione of the phrase 'kill them with kindness.' A few giggles escaped from the women around her as Amelia looked at the entire group. "No one at any point said you were to meet the prince today. You weren't even supposed to meet the queen but she suddenly changed her mind."

Hermione bit her lip to keep from smiling. She realized that while the makeover was an important part of the Drawing process, it was also a test. A test she knew that Daphne, without a doubt, failed.

"Get to mingling ladies and don't mind the cameras," Amelia continued. "Dinner will be ready soon."

 **[o][o][o]**

Hermione learned something about herself during the 'meet and greet' in the garden; anytime a camera was pointed at her she was liable to freeze up. The photographers told her to 'just relax and pretend that they weren't there,' but that just made Hermione all the more aware of their presence.

It took two hours, two gruelling hours, until Amelia announced that dinner was ready. Hermione gave a hefty sigh and followed Ginny out of the garden and back into the castle.

"Thank god that's over," she whispered.

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Ginny muttered back, grinning at Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny had taken to the cameras alarmingly quickly. The two had stuck together for the entirety of the afternoon and Ginny had no problems whatsoever posing for the camera. It was almost annoying.

The girls were led into another large hall with a long table in the middle of the room. Portraits and suits of armor lined the outer walls as candles floated magically above their heads.

"Find your name tag and take a seat at the table, please," Amelia called out. She walked over to a chair near the head of the table and sat down. "This isn't a permanent seating plan, just something to help you all get acquainted with each other."

Hermione resisted rolling her eyes. They had just spent two hours getting _acquainted_ with each other. She walked around the table, looking at the little cards in front of the seats to see where she was to sit. Ginny had found hers almost instantly and sat down, her expression darkening when Cho sat down on one side of her and Daphne sat down on the other.

Hermione's name was situated beside Amelia at the end of the table. She sighed and sat down, glancing around at the placement in front of her. Everything Amelia had taught her came rushing back to her and she felt herself relax a little. Proper dinner etiquette was something she knew she could handle.

Luna Lovegood sat down on Hermione's left. Hermione wasn't sure what to make of the newly turned blonde. She had a constant dreamy look on her face and seemed to only half-listen whenever someone spoke to her. Luna picked up the soup spoon and looked into it, examining her distorted reflection.

"Do you think it's possible to use the phone tonight?" Hermione turned away from Luna to question Amelia.

"I don't think tonight is a good night," Amelia began slowly. "Let yourself get settled in and maybe you can call tomorrow."

Hermione frowned. "You said I could phone my father at any time."

"And you can," Amelia nodded, "just – later."

Doors were opened before Hermione could respond and a delicious aroma filled the room. A line of Fives marched over to the table and placed food in front of everyone. Hermione thanked her server and grabbed her dinner fork, stabbing a steaming potato with it. Beside her, Luna grabbed her salad fork and daintily tucked into her dinner.

Conversation was light as dinner progressed. Cho and Daphne's voices rang out over the din of conversation. Hermione looked down the table at Ginny. She was focused on her food, not speaking to anyone as the women on either side of her talked loudly over one another.

Once dessert was finished, Amelia stood up.

"Follow me, ladies. Your rooms are this way." Everyone scrambled up out of their chairs and hurried after Amelia. "Once you're situated you are free to roam the castle, like the queen said earlier. Breakfast is at nine tomorrow and I expect all of you there, dressed _properly_."

"Will we be meeting Prince Harry tomorrow?" Lavender asked. There was a murmur of people seconding her question.

"Yes, tomorrow you will be meeting with the prince _and_ the king." There was an almost smug tone to Amelia's voice as she spoke. Hermione shook her head, she couldn't figure out what Amelia's game was.

As they entered the wing where their rooms would be, Hermione spotted her name on a plaque instantly. Her room was situated in a corner, with Hannah and Luna beside her. Hermione opened the door and stepped into her new room.

The room was easily bigger than her entire house back home. An extremely comfortable looking four poster bed was situated at the far end of the room. Portraits of beautiful scenery littered the walls and a roaring fireplace was placed next to the bed. In the corner of the room was a small table with chairs. Seated in those chairs were Tonks and another woman. At Hermione's entrance, they both sprang up in surprise.

"Lady Hermione!" Tonks gave a quick curtsy, the woman beside her dipping low as well. "Please, excuse us. We didn't know you'd be back so soon."

"No, it's okay." Hermione raised her hands, walking further into the room.

"This is Sally," Tonks gestured to the other woman. The girl's cheeks were a bright shade of red and she kept her gaze down on the floor. "She'll be your second maid."

"It's nice to you meet you," Hermione smiled. She noticed her small suitcase had been brought into the room and was sitting on the trunk at the end of her new bed.

"Do you want us to draw you a bath, my lady?" Sally asked softly, her gaze still lowered. Hermione realized with a jolt that Sally was afraid of her reaction.

"No, thank you," she replied in the kindest voice she could. By rank, Sally was above her. It didn't sit well with Hermione that someone of a higher stature was nervous _of her_. "I'm allowed to explore the castle, right? I think I'll go do that for a bit."

"Oh," Sally nodded. "Alright then."

"Did you want us to unpack your suitcase while you're gone?" Tonks asked.

"Erm, no that's okay," Hermione felt her face begin to heat up. "Why don't the two of you rest up for the night? This whole thing really starts tomorrow and we're going to have our work cut out for us."

The two began to protest but Hermione quickly hurried out of the room. She felt uncomfortable, like _she_ should be the one serving Tonks and Sally and not the other way around.

Hermione looked at the plaques beside the doors and searched for Ginny's name. She found it on the opposite side of the corridor from where her room was and gently knocked on it. The door opened a second later and an unfamiliar young woman peeked out, looking curiously at Hermione.

"Yes, my lady?" the woman asked.

"Is Ginny there?" Hermione asked awkwardly. The door opened up all the way and Ginny appeared behind the young woman. "Hey, I was just going to explore. Did you want to join me?"

"I think I'll pass," Ginny said softly, pulling an apologetic face. "I'm pretty knackered all of a sudden."

Hermione nodded and bid the two women goodnight. She hurried out of their housing wing, wanting to go examine those antiques she saw when they first entered the castle. However, finding her way back to the main entrance was a lot harder than Hermione thought it would be. Each corridor looked almost identical to the last, the different pictures and décor items the only way to distinguish where she was going.

Hermione was walking down one hall, looking around her when a plaque beside a large set of double doors made her pause.

 _Library_.

Excitement shot through Hermione and she licked her lips, reaching out to grab the handle of the door, twisting it. She pushed the door open and walked into the large room with baited breath.

The large room held multiple floor to ceiling bookshelves. Like in the dining hall, candles floated lazily above Hermione's head, giving off enough light to be able to read but still managing an intimate atmosphere. She was unable to keep the smile from her face as she reached up and ran a finger along the spines of the books, her heart thudding almost painfully in her chest. The books looked like textbooks.

Hermione withdrew her hand quickly and glanced around. Would she get into trouble if she read one? Queen Lily and Amelia _had_ said they were allowed to roam the castle as they pleased. Were they also allowed to _read?_ Or did they expect the women of the Drawing to not even care about the library?

A shuffling noise from somewhere beyond the shelves made Hermione turn. "Hello?" she called out. She received no answer.

Hermione continued further into the room, passing more and more books. There was an open area at the end of the room with tables and chairs lining the wall. A comfy looking sofa sat as a barrier between the books and the reading area.

Hermione moved around the sofa and up to the large window, heaving a table (which was a lot heavier than she expected) out of the way so she could get closer to the window. It was completely dark outside, but there were little dots of light in the distance where Hermione knew buildings were.

She sighed, rubbing her hand along the smooth window sill idly as she stared out into the blackness before her. Her hand moved from the smooth, polished wood to a slightly raised, uneven texture. She frowned, glancing down.

Long, thin scorch marks littered the window sill, running down onto the stone wall. She bent down, running her hand down the scorch marks with a frown. They looked fresh.

"What are you doing?"

Hermione gasped, her head whipping around and there was a sudden blinding, white pain as her temple connected with the corner of the table she'd moved. "Bloody hell!" she cried out, losing her balance and falling against the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut, bringing her hands up to her now throbbing head. "What the hell is wrong with you? Sneaking up on someone like that – honestly!"

"I didn't realize I needed permission to be in my own library," the voice said. Hermione froze. She knew that tenor voice, "Are you alright?"

Hermione forced her eyes open, blinking away the slight fuzziness of her vision. Crouching down in front of her was a lean man. Green eyes examined her head behind a pair of stylish glasses.

Prince Harry frowned, looking concerned as he repeated, "Are you alright?"

 **[o][o][o]**

 **AN: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, we're finally starting to get into the fun bits! I was originally going to post this once I finished moving (I'm moving provinces in two days and still have so much to do), but news of Alan Rickman passing made me drop everything and hurry up and edit this.**

 **Anyway, please leave a review to let me know what you think!**

 **Always,**

 **HP.**


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **This is unedited because I feel really bad for the long wait.**

 **The Drawing**

 **Chapter Five**

" _I didn't realize I needed permission to be in my own library," the voice said. Hermione froze. She knew that tenor voice, "Are you alright?"_

 _Hermione forced her eyes open, blinking away the slight fuzziness of her vision. Crouching down in front of her was a lean man. Green eyes examined her head behind a pair of stylish glasses._

 _Prince Harry frowned, looking concerned as he repeated, "Are you alright?"_

Hermione stared at the man – _prince –_ in front of her, mouth dropping open and brain struggling to process what had just happened. She had just yelled at the prince of Hogwarts; yelled _and_ cursed at the very man the kingdom expected her to fight eleven other women for. He was liable to send her to prison for that – or worse, home.

At that thought, Hermione's fear spiked, "Y-Your Highness…"

"Do you need me to call for a doctor?" the prince asked, his hands hovering awkwardly over her body as if unsure of what to do.

"A doctor?" She was relieved that he wasn't outwardly angry at her for raising her voice. Maybe he wouldn't send her home right away. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Prince Harry frowned down at her. "You might have a concussion – you hit your head pretty hard."

The words were out of Hermione's mouth before she could even attempt to stifle them, "And whose fault is that?"

A shocked expression passed across Prince Harry's face as he sat back, eyebrows raised. Hermione slapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide once she realized what she had said. What was _wrong_ with her? The hit to the head must have done something to her filter. She was as good as gone now.

"I am so sorry," she sputtered shakily, her pulse racing. "I didn't – I mean – it just _slipped_ out and –"

Laughter cut Hermione off. Prince Harry's shoulders shook as he chuckled, sitting back on his haunches. She bit her lip, eyeing the prince warily as he continued to laugh. After a moment he seemed to regain control and swiped a finger underneath his watering eye, "When I pictured meeting a Lady of the Drawing, this was the last thing I could have possibly imagined."

"I apologize, Your Highness," Hermione murmured. She glanced down awkwardly, her face warm with embarrassment.

"An apology isn't necessary but I'll accept it anyway," he grinned, standing up. He offered his hand down to her and she stared up at him, momentarily stunned by how… _boyish_ he looked before taking it and allowing him to pull her to her feet. "That was actually kind of refreshing. But I was the one who startled you, so it really should be _me_ apologizing, Miss…"

Prince Harry trailed off, raising his eyebrows as he waited for Hermione to answer him. "Hermione Granger," she smiled. "Shouldn't you know the names of your prospective wives?"

Prince Harry gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "I should," he admitted guiltily. "Unfortunately, there have been other matters that have had to take up my time." He reached down, gingerly picking up one of Hermione's hands and lifting it up to his lips. "But you needn't worry about me forgetting you. You've certainly made a lasting impression."

Hermione felt her blood run cold and she froze as Prince Harry brushed his lips against her knuckles. She quickly pulled her hand away and took a step back, hitting the window sill.

"I'm sorry, did I overstep my boundaries?" Prince Harry's confident expression melted into one of confusion and insecurity, making Hermione feel guilty almost instantly.

"No, not at all," she replied quickly. "It's just … complicated."

The excuse sounded weak even to her ears and she inwardly winced, biting her lip. The prince nodded and took a step back, confusion still written all over his face. Again, Hermione felt a twinge of guilt.

"I should probably go," Hermione said. She ducked around the prince's tall frame and gave a curtsy.

"Lady Hermione?"

Hermione winced, turning around to see the prince standing closer to the window. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for him to tell her she was the first to be let go. He continued to look at her and she squared her shoulders. No, she wouldn't go home without a fight. She'd convince him to let her stay, somehow.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't mention our meeting to the other ladies? Technically I'm not supposed to meet anyone until tomorrow."

Hermione blinked. That was it? "Of course," she readily agreed, relief washing over her. She could just imagine Ginny's reaction if she heard the story of their encounter and shuddered. No thank you. "I promise. Good night, Your Highness."

 **[o][o][o]**

Hermione woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache. She groaned, bringing her hand up to her temple. From the window, Sally was humming a light tune as she pulled open the curtains. Hermione winced when the sunlight hit her. "Five more minutes," she whined.

"Sorry, my lady," Sally apologized. She grabbed a blood red robe that was draped over the back of a chair and held it open for Hermione. "I let you sleep in as long as possible, but you do have to get up now if you want to be on time. How's your head?"

Her question brought another groan from Hermione. She pushed herself into a sitting position, her body aching in protest. "I'll be okay," she said. Sally put the robe down and went to the bedside table, pouring water from a pitcher into a glass and handing it to Hermione. "Thanks."

"Tonks just left to grab something for you to take for the pain," Sally said softly, holding out the robe again. Hermione sighed, placing the now empty glass onto the bedside table and got up, smiling in thanks as the young woman draped the robe over her shoulders. "In the meantime let's get you in the bath and ready for the day, hmm?"

Hermione bit back another groan and made her way to the bathroom. She was cranky and tired but knew Sally wasn't to blame so she bit her tongue. She had returned to her room the previous night and was just telling Tonks and Sally that she didn't need help getting into her pyjamas when one of Prince Harry's maids showed up at the door. She handed Sally a note and was off before Hermione realized what was going on.

The note itself was from Prince Harry. How he knew she wouldn't tell her maids about her bonk on the head, she wasn't sure but the note explained her injury in full detail. That sent Tonks and Sally into a tizzy and they decided that they would take turns during the night waking Hermione up and wouldn't take no for an answer.

For the rest of the night, Hermione had been absolutely livid at the prince – how _dare_ he? It wasn't until the third time she'd been woken up that it dawned on her how horrible she had treated Prince Harry and this was his way of making sure she wasn't concussed. He had been nothing but kind and sincere towards her and she threw it back in his face by yelling, cursing, and talking back to him. After that, sleep had been impossible for her. She spent the remainder of the night tossing and turning, guilt churning in her gut as she thought of different ways to apologize to him without bringing attention to herself in front of the others.

Hermione bathed (miraculously getting Sally to go wait in the other room while she did so) and by the time she was finished Tonks was back, holding a vial of purple liquid out in front of her.

"For your head, my lady," she said, holding it out.

Hermione took the vial and glanced down at it. She had never had a potion before; they were too expensive for Fifth District Fives to afford so she'd never been able to try one even if she wanted to. She glanced up and saw Tonks and Sally looking at her expectantly. Hermione's headache was getting progressively worse but for some reason, she was suddenly hesitant to take it. "What's it taste like?"

The two women frowned. "It tastes like a headache potion, my lady," Tonks replied slowly.

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up as she glanced down at it again. "I've never had one before."

"Never?" Sally blurted out.

"Sally!" Tonks hissed, rounding on the younger woman.

Hermione shook her head. "We were never able to afford potions – I don't even think they would sell it to us since my parents are muggle."

Tonks and Sally's eyes widened and their faces turned red. Almost instantly, they both dropped into deep curtsies and began to apologize profusely. Poor Sally looked on the verge of tears.

"Why are you apologizing?" Hermione asked, baffled.

"You'll have to excuse our ignorance," Tonks said, face red and eyes trained on the floor. "We should have been more aware of where you came from."

Hermione stared at the two women, not sure what to say. They both had their shoulders hunched, like they were expecting to be struck. She looked down at the potion in her hands and quickly downed it. It didn't really have a taste, but it wasn't exactly pleasant. However, Hermione did notice her headache start to recede immediately. She made an exaggerated ' _blegh_ ' sound and turned back to the two women, smiling at them reassuringly. "I don't think I was missing much."

Tonks looked up, cheeks still rosy from her embarrassment. Hermione did her best to keep her smile genuine; something ugly twisted in her stomach at the sight of Tonks and Sally afraid of her reaction. "You didn't offend me, I promise," she reassured softly. She glanced at the clock on the wall and winced – she didn't have much time to get ready for breakfast.

As if knowing what Hermione was thinking, Tonks and Sally sprang into action. Hermione turned away, giving Sally privacy as she quickly wiped her eyes. "Since you'll be meeting the prince today, well, officially," Tonks shot Hermione a sly look, "you should look your best."

"Do I have to?" Hermione asked, following Sally to the closet where her dresses were.

Sally shot Hermione an incredulous look, as if not looking her best was the worst thing imaginable. She turned back to the large rack of dresses and examined them. "What about this?" she asked, pulling out a strapless pink dress. She laughed at Hermione's scrunched up nose and put it back.

A simple blue sundress caught her eye and she pointed it out, "That one."

Sally pulled the dress off of the rack and turned to Hermione. "Will you let us help you get dressed this time, my lady?"

Hermione sighed. Sally's eyes were wide and imploring and even Tonks stopped getting makeup ready to wait for her answer. "Fine," she allowed. "But I'm changing my underwear myself – _alone_. The dress you can help with."

Tonks and Sally nodded. Hermione grabbed her undergarments and went to the bathroom. She was sure this whole process would take more time in the long run but she didn't feel like fighting Tonks or Sally.

Hermione quickly changed and was just putting her robe back on when she caught her reflection in the mirror. She turned and gasped. Judging from how bad her headache was when she woke up, Hermione knew she would be sporting a nice bruise on her temple but didn't expect it to be as big as it was. The dark purple bruise looked almost black against her skin and Hermione was surprised that neither Sally nor Tonks reacted to the sight of it.

After they helped her with the dress, Tonks sat Hermione down and began to apply a copious amount of makeup to cover the bruise. Behind her, Sally began working on her hair, pulling it up and into some intricate knot.

There was a knock on the door just as Tonks was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Sally hopped over to the door and pulled it open, revealing Ginny in a pretty strapless, green dress.

"You aren't ready yet?" Ginny asked, her face falling slightly. "We have to be down there, like now."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Tonks quickly fixed a tendril so it carefully covered where her bruise was under the makeup and stepped back. Hermione got up and laughed as Ginny began gesturing for her to hurry up.

"Good luck today," Tonks grinned, her eyes shining.

Hermione nodded, thanked Tonks and Sally, and followed Ginny out into the corridor. Together they made their way to the Lady's Room in silence, their heels clacking loudly off the walls. Hermione glanced at her friend and was struck with how radiant she looked. It really did look like she belonged in the castle and, if it weren't for the calluses on her hands, it would be impossible to tell Ginny was a Fifth District Five. She was dressed to impress.

They passed a portrait of the royal family and Hermione frowned. She supposed they did have a good reason to be dressy today. She glanced down at her own simple dress and wondered if she should've worn something fancier. She dismissed that thought instantly. Unlike Ginny, Hermione _wasn't_ there to impress the prince.

Amelia was pacing outside of the double doors leading to the Lady's Room when Hermione and Ginny arrived. She checked her watch and raised an eyebrow at the duo, "You are late."

Hermione was hit with the memory of Mrs. Pince saying the exact thing to her a couple weeks prior and immediately reverted back into the submissive servant she had to be, "Sorry, ma'am." Amelia gave Hermione a pointed look at the knee-jerk reaction and turned to Ginny.

"Sorry," she said simply.

Amelia sighed, "Its fine. Since it's your first day I'll let this pass, but you ladies need to be here _at_ _least_ ten minutes before you are expected from here on out, got it?"

Hermione and Ginny nodded.

"Head into the Lady's Room and take a seat."

Ginny skipped ahead into the Lady's Room, Hermione following behind her.

The Lady's Room had transformed from the salon style it had been yesterday into an impromptu classroom. Twelve desks were situated in the middle of the room, each desk having silverware set up on it. Most of the girls were seated at the desks, talking quietly with one another as cameramen and photographers danced around them. A couple noticed Hermione and Ginny's entrance and turned their lenses on them.

Hermione's body tensed immediately and she hurried over to an empty desk. Ginny took her time in following after her, shooting a smile at the cameras. Hermione grinned – Ginny was really in her element. She hoped Prince Harry and Ginny got on well.

"You need to loosen up," Ginny murmured quietly, sitting down in the desk beside Hermione. "This isn't that bad."

"I'm trying," she retorted, frowning.

"Try harder," Ginny hissed back.

Hermione rolled her eyes and glanced down at the setup in front of her. The display was set up almost exactly how it had been when Amelia had begun to teach her dinner etiquette the previous week.

"I hope we don't have to wait for breakfast," Lavender, who was sitting down on Hermione's other side, commented, looking woefully down at her own empty plate in front of her. "This feels like a lesson."

"I think breakfast _is_ the lesson," Hermione remarked.

Ten minutes passed and they were still waiting for Amelia to show up. Glancing around the room, Hermione saw that Cho was the only one missing from the group and felt a flash of annoyance. Of _course_ they were waiting on her. Finally, another five minutes passed when the doors opened dramatically and Cho waltzed in, pausing when the cameras turned on her.

Cho hadn't reached her desk yet (but, then again, she _was_ taking her time) when the doors opened again and an older woman appeared. Her black hair was pulled into a high bun and she was wearing an obviously very expensive tailored robe. The woman's eyes narrowed in on Cho as she began to make her way to the front of the impromptu classroom.

"Good morning, ladies," she called out, her eyes still trained on Cho. It was only until the younger woman finally took her seat that this new woman glanced around at the other women. "You may call me McGonagall. Welcome to your first lesson in etiquette."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up involuntarily. First lesson in _etiquette_? She glanced down at the silverware in front of her, feeling confused as McGonagall launched into a lecture about each utensil, their position, and when to use said utensil during a meal. She glanced around the room, her confusion doubling when she saw Ginny staring down at her own silverware and studying them.

In fact, most of the girls around Hermione besides Cho and Daphne were listening with rapt attention to McGonagall. Was this just a refresher course to make sure the assistants did their job, then? Hermione had no idea, but she turned her focus back onto their lecturer just in case she said something that was new.

"And with that," McGonagall concluded forty-five minutes later, "let's put what you've learned to practice." She gave two sharp claps and the double doors opened up again. Hermione bit back a moan as the savory scent of breakfast wafted into the room. A line of Fives carrying covered plates of food walked into the room, each servant going to a desk and setting the plate down and uncovering it.

Hermione wanted to cry at how delicious the food looked. Her mouth began to salivate as she stared down at it, her fingers itching to grab at the fork and knife and dig in. She glanced up, knowing that McGonagall was purposely stalling to see if anyone would begin to eat before being given consent. No one moved, however, which made McGonagall smile proudly. "Breakfast is served."

There was nothing but the sound clinking silverware as everyone began to eat. Out of the corner of Hermione's eye she saw McGonagall begin to circle around them like a hawk, watching every move. Amelia had done the same to Hermione during their week so she went back to her meal, knowing that if she focused on McGonagall's scrutiny for too long she'd end up making a mistake.

"Lady Susan, why are you eating your eggs with the salad fork?"

Everyone froze as McGonagall's voice pierced through the silence. Hermione turned to see the redhead looking over at McGonagall with wide, watery eyes, her fork hovering in front of her mouth. "Uh, I –" she began.

"Again," the older woman snapped. Two Fives appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, clearing Susan's desk and resetting it. Susan was bright red with embarrassment as Daphne let out a tittering laugh. She picked up the correct fork and, with McGonagall's approving nod, began to eat her new breakfast.

The morning slowly bled into the afternoon in much the same way. McGonagall seemed hell bent on giving everyone a crash course in all things etiquette – things that Amelia had said were basic knowledge to others. To an extent, Hermione could see truth to her words; there were varying levels of recognition between everyone on different things. To no one's surprise, Cho and Daphne excelled in all the lessons, but more than once Hermione felt eyes on her as she demonstrated whatever McGonagall had asked of her almost perfectly.

McGonagall was just finishing up on discussing who in the royal family can be called by 'Royal Highness' when a loud knock sounded on the large, double doors. They were pushed open and seconds later a voice called out, "Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Harry of Hogwarts."

There was a hum of excitement as the prince himself stepped into the room. Hermione felt her pulse quicken as she stood up with the others, all of them giving a low curtsy. McGonagall nodded in approval from her own curtsy.

"I hope I'm not interrupting?" Prince Harry asked, striding into the room. He was dressed in perfectly tailored black slacks and an emerald green dress shirt. Hermione had to admit that he looked quite dashing and, judging from the soft sigh that came from Ginny, she wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Not at all, Your Highness," McGonagall replied, bowing her head respectfully.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Prince Harry, now standing beside McGonagall, smiled at the group. His eyes seemed to linger on Hermione for a second longer than the others. She looked down and fought the urge to fidget, suddenly _extremely_ aware of the return of the cameramen around them. "I didn't want to the first time we meet to be in front of my parents so I decided to do introductions a little earlier than expected."

Hermione doubted that this was a spur of the moment decision, judging from how many cameramen and photographers had suddenly reappeared. Still, this gave Hermione the opportunity to apologize for her behavior the previous night.

"Of course," McGonagall agreed almost immediately. She gestured over to a set of sofas on the opposite side of the room. "Will over there work, Your Highness?"

Prince Harry nodded, grinning as he walked up to Fleur and picked up her hand. Hermione felt something twist in her stomach as she watched him bring her hand up to his lips and gently kiss the back of it. Instead of pushing the prince away like Hermione had done, Fleur blushed demurely and allowed herself to be led across the room. All the cameras were on the two of them, snapping photos and recording the walk to the sofa. Prince Harry bent his head down low as he spoke quietly with the gorgeous blonde. Hermione noticed with relief that the cameramen didn't follow them and kept their distance, allowing Prince Harry and Fleur some privacy.

Once they were sure the cameras weren't on them, the rest of the group began to primp and whisper to each other. Daphne had pulled out a compact from her clutch and was patting at her nose with a circular pad. Cho was looking enviously at the other girl's compact as she ran her hands through her own hair.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" Ginny whispered. Hermione turned to see her staring blankly ahead with an almost stunned expression. She looked at Hermione with wide, brown eyes. "We're really here."

Hermione grinned at her friend, opening her mouth to reply but was shushed almost immediately. Prince Harry escorted Fleur back to her seat and turned to Daphne, holding out his hand for her to take. She stood up gracefully, bowing her head as he placed a kiss on the back of her hand and headed back to the sofas.

Hermione felt increasingly sick to her stomach as Prince Harry introduced himself to the others one by one. She knew she'd apologize but _how?_ Just blurt it out? Wait for the prince to say something before apologizing? There were too many options and Hermione felt her headache start to come back at the thought of being alone with him again. She hoped her filter would keep her from saying anything else insulting or embarrassing, or at the very least that her expression would be kept neutral in the whole ordeal.

Ginny's quick intake of breath when Prince Harry held out his hand to her would've made Hermione smile if she wasn't so nervous herself. She watched as Prince Harry helped Ginny from her seat, his eyes quickly darting from the redhead to Hermione and then back again so fast Hermione barely caught it – _barely._

Hermione swallowed thickly, clenching her hands tightly together to try and keep them from shaking. This was ridiculous. Why was she was so nervous? Apologizing wasn't something she liked to do but she was going to do it anyway – she had been in the wrong after all. And Prince Harry was still just a man; there was nothing to be nervous about. She'd just be in front of photographers, a camera crew, and eleven other women who were watching and judging her every move.

A masculine hand appeared in her line of vision, making Hermione start. Looking up, she saw Prince Harry smiling down at her. She quickly wiped her hands on the skirt of her dress and then grasped Prince Harry's proffered hand, standing up on shaky legs. He grinned at her and, instead of kissing the back of her hand like he'd done to everyone else, gave her hand a little squeeze. "Shall we?" he asked, pulling her away from her desk and towards the sofas.

Hermione was acutely aware of all the lenses and eyes on her as she walked stiffly across the room. She needed to relax – she knew she looked stiff and uncomfortable to everyone else – but she couldn't help it. Her nerves were too shot. She gave a shaky smile to Prince Harry as they both sat down on the sofa. There was an awkward pause.

"I'm sorry about last night."

"How are you feeling?"

Hermione and Prince Harry's words overlapped each other as they both tried to talk at the same time. Hermione gave an embarrassed laugh, scrunching up the skirt of her dress in her hands. "My apologies," Prince Harry said, smiling warmly. "Go ahead."

"I wanted to apologize for last night," Hermione began, squaring her shoulders and turning towards the prince. Blurting out the apology it was, then. "I was rude to you when you did nothing to deserve it."

"Well, like I said last night – an apology isn't needed. After all, I technically am the reason you hit your head in the first place." The prince leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. "But thank you, I accept your apology."

Hermione sat back against the sofa, immediately feeling a thousand times better. "Thank you," she smiled. "And thanks for sending your maid to check up on me, you didn't have to do that."

Prince Harry's eyebrows shot up a fraction but other than that kept the warm smile on face. "I was sure you'd hate that."

"Well, I did," Hermione admitted. The corner of Prince Harry's mouth twitched. "But I realized it was done out of concern after about the third time Tonks woke me up."

Prince Harry gave a soft chuckle. "Well I'm happy you figured out it was done out of the kindness of my heart. I was convinced that you would find that sort of behavior offensive." He glanced over at the group and stood up, holding out his hand for Hermione to take. "I should probably continue on with the introductions. Lady Lavender looks like she's about to run over here."

Hermione looked to where the prince had motioned and saw that the blonde was indeed staring intently over at the pair. Hermione smiled, taking his hand and standing up. As they walked back, she couldn't resist quipping, "You remembered Lady Lavender's name? I'm impressed."

"A man _should_ know the names of his perspective wives," he replied with sagely a nod. Hermione gave an unladylike snort at his recycled words. They returned to where Hermione's desk was. "A pleasure, Lady Hermione."

Hermione nodded and watched as Prince Harry turned to Lavender. She practically shot up from her desk, earning a few chuckles from the people around her – including the prince.

And as soon as it had begun, it was over. Prince Harry returned to his spot beside McGonagall and smiled at everyone. "Thank you for your time," he said. "I have some other things to attend to, but I'll see you ladies tonight for dinner."

 **[o][o][o]**

The air was thick with anticipation. No one spoke, even Daphne and Cho seemed to be unable to keep a conversation going as they waited in the dining hall. The seats at both ends of the large table (which, when Hermione really looked at it, was almost the size of her house back home) were empty, although judging by how ornate the chairs were further in it didn't take much where the royal family would sit.

Like Amelia had promised the previous night, no place cards were set up, leaving the girls free to sit wherever they wanted to. Ginny had chosen to sit near the end of the table, pulling the seat next to her out and smiling at Hermione. The brunette had sat down beside her friend, looking around as they waited.

The room felt too big, too imposing to carry on a regular conversation. Hermione glanced up at the high ceilings, the candles floating lazily above them, and felt a twang of sympathy for Prince Harry. The room seemed so cold, so impersonal; she couldn't imagine what it was like to have to grow up with meals in here.

The wide, double doors opened and another disembodied rang out, "Presenting His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Hogwarts."

Chairs were scraped back as everyone stood up, turning their bodies towards the doors. Butterflies erupted within Hermione's stomach as she stared at the opening the doors created, waiting for them to enter the room. This was it; the _official_ start of the Drawing.

Hermione was terrified.

King James entered the room with the Queen on his arm. Hermione felt her breath catch as she quickly dipped into a low curtsy, like everyone else in the table. The two of them made a striking pair – the Queen's beauty was radiant and the King had a very handsome, distinguished look about him. Prince Harry came up to their side moments later, the calm mask that she had seen earlier in place.

"Rise."

Hermione forced herself not to frown as the King spoke. His voice was so… _hard._ Not at all like charming professional she had heard on the _Hogwarts Express_. She rose, watching as the King and Queen made their way to the chairs that she had pegged were theirs and sat down. Cho looked positively thrilled, glancing at the empty chair Prince Harry would be sitting down in and shooting off smug looks to Daphne, who looked like she swallowed something rotten.

Only, Prince Harry didn't join his parents.

The prince walked to the empty chair that was at the end of the table where Ginny and Parvati had sat down, resting his hand on the back of it. "You ladies don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all, Your Highness," Ginny said immediately. The prince smiled at the two and looked over at his parents. Hermione swivelled her head to see the Queen shooting a proud smile to Harry and touched the King's arm. He sat down, and the room was filled with scraping chairs once more as everyone returned to their seats.

"So how are you ladies enjoying the castle?" Prince Harry asked quietly.

"It's beautiful, Your Highness," Parvati replied. She was the picture of calm serenity, giving the prince a small smile while sitting perfectly straight, her hands in her lap. If she was nervous, she didn't show it at all.

"I'm glad," he smiled once again. "I was a bit worried about how to decorate all of your rooms. Having twelve woman join your household as guests is pretty daunting."

Not to be outdone, Lavender (who was sitting next to Parvati) jumped in eagerly, "They're _wonderful_ , Your Highness. I couldn't have pictured a better room to stay in if I tried."

A soft snort escaped from Hermione before she could stifle it. She quickly tried to make it into a cough, not wanting to seem rude but didn't think she was very convincing. Lavender turned to look at her, her eyes narrowing dangerously before turning back to the prince.

"You decorated our rooms?" Ginny asked, quickly jumping in before anything else could be said. The redhead was very obviously fighting a smile, her brown eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Well, kind of," Prince Harry hedged, looking almost embarrassed. "I didn't _personally_ decorate the rooms, but I had final say in what room got what."

"Well I thank you for the Quidditch memorabilia," Ginny grinned.

Suddenly, all the other girls around Hermione began to chime in, thanking the prince for whatever special touch he had added to their room. Hermione frowned, looking down at her plate. Her room wasn't all that _personalized_. It was beautiful, yes, but other than the bookcase she had seen nothing else that would've clued her into knowing the prince had some say in her room.

Hermione pushed down the pang of hurt that suddenly appeared. What did it matter that he didn't really put anything _personal_ into her room? She was not there to impress. There was no reason for her to get hurt over something so trivial.

But still, she had to wonder what impression her application had given to the Prince for him to warrant such a move.

"Dinner is served."

Hermione snapped out of her musings as a line of Fives made their way into the dining hall, carrying trays of food and pitchers of various drinks. Food was placed in their proper place, drinks were poured and a number of Fives backed against a wall, their hands clasped together as the King picked up his fork.

That was it. No words, no indication to begin eating other than the King spearing a baby carrot with his fork and shoving it into his mouth.

For a few moments there was only the sound of cutlery scraping against the plates as everyone began to eat. Hermione glanced down at her own dinner, still marveling at how _good_ the food looked and smelled here, before picking up her fork and beginning to eat.

Conversation began to start all around her. Fleur, who was on Hermione's right, practically turned her back to her as she talked to Alicia. Across the table Parvati, Lavender, and Susan were all listening with rapt attention as Prince Harry began to carry on a conversation with Ginny about Quidditch. At the other end of the table, Cho was carrying on a conversation with Queen Lily while others looked on with jealous. The only ones not involved in conversation were King James, who was studiously ignoring Hannah's attempts at starting one, and Hermione.

In that second, Hermione felt very _alone_. What was she doing here? She didn't belong in this sort of situation. She would've been better off standing off to the side with the other Fives. Hell, she _felt_ like she was doing that.

"What about you, Lady Hermione?"

At the sound of her name, Hermione's head snapped up. Prince Harry was looking at her, a small smile on his lips as the others gave tittering laughs around her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Were you not paying attention to the conversation?" Ginny asked, tilting her head slightly towards her friend.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't," Hermione said, feeling her face heat up with embarrassment as Lavender gave another breathy laugh.

"You seem rather quiet," Prince Harry continued. His green eyes flicked up to the spot where he knew she had hit her head, flashing with concern. "I was enquiring if you felt okay."

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just… taking all of this in. It's not every day you get to dine with the royal family."

"This must be quite a transition for the two of you," Parvati said softly, her eyes gliding over both Hermione and Ginny.

Hermione felt Ginny stiffen beside her as she glared at the other woman. "It is taking a bit getting used to," Ginny smiled. She sounded perfectly fine and Hermione never would've known how angry her friend was if she hadn't known her as well as she did. "But I think we're doing just fine."

Prince Harry caught onto the tension between them and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Everyone is doing a magnificent job at settling in," he said, his eyes darting between Ginny and Parvati.

Hermione set down her fork and sat back in her seat, suddenly not hungry anymore. Prince Harry quickly changed the subject, commenting on how pretty Susan looked in her evening gown. Ginny sighed softly, still looking miffed but followed what was being said, adding little inputs here and there not to be forgotten. Parvati, looking quite pleased with herself, shot Hermione a smug smirk and settled into the conversation.

No one spoke to Hermione again for the rest of dinner.

 **[o][o][o]**

Hermione sighed, looking down at the pages before her but not reading the words that were there. Once dinner had been let out, she had quickly changed into something more comfortable and sought out the library, deciding against calling her father. Dinner had put a bad taste in her mouth and she knew her father would pick up on her mood. He had enough to deal with without having to worry about her.

She knew it would be like this. She had already seen the prejudices form and come out in the little time she had spent with the other girls of the Drawing. What Hermione didn't expect was them to go on right under Prince Harry's nose. Granted, he seemed to pick up on _something_ and quickly changed the subject, but the damage was done.

She hated this place with a passion. Every single minute was torture to her. The fake smiles, everyone stumbling over themselves to please you, the _cattiness_. She couldn't stand it.

 _This is for Dad. You can do this, Hermione_.

Hermione sighed again, grasping the page of the book with a little more force than necessary and flipping it over. She stared at the words in front of her for a moment and then closed the book. It was no use, she wasn't able to concentrate.

Hermione stood, picking up the book and putting it back in its rightful place, quickly leaving the library. A good night's sleep would probably do her good. She hadn't slept very well the last night for obvious reasons and the lack of sleep was probably doing her more harm than good.

"There you are!"

Hermione jerked her head up as she turned the corner to their sleeping quarters. Ginny was practically sprinting towards her, her face flushed with excitement with a piece of paper crumpled in her first. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"He asked me, and I said yes!" Ginny skidded to a stop in front of her, grasping her shoulders and giving them a tiny shake.

"Huh?"

"Prince Harry!" Ginny gushed, grinning wildly. "He asked to see me privately – tomorrow after breakfast! I can't believe it, Hermione! This is _really_ happening!"

 **[o][o][o]**

 **AN: Hey guys, long time no see! I am so, so, SO sorry for the wait, but this chapter would not come out. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have literally been working on this chapter since February and only now got it to where I kinda wanted it to be. I already have most of the next chapter mapped out so barring any of the characters hijacking it, it should be out sometime soon. Not having anyone to talk to about the story can be a real pain in the tush at times.**

 **Like I previously mentioned in other chapters, I am still working on my Walking Dead fanfic as well. I have a good portion of it planned out and written and am debating on posting it soon. Part of me wants to wait until I've finished writing the first part (it's gonna have parts, because I apparently can't write anything SHORT), but I also really want to know what people think of it. If any of you are TWD fanfic fans, let me know what you think!**

 **Hope everyone has a fantastic day!**

 **Cheers,**

 **HP.**


	6. Chapter Six

**AN: Big announcement about Social Media type things in the AN below!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **The Drawing**

 **Chapter Six**

Ginny's absence was clearly noticed after breakfast the next day. Hermione sat back, watching, as the others all began to speculate what was going on. It was very clear to the rest of the women that Prince Harry had asked Ginny on the first date of the Drawing, and in the two hours they had to kill between breakfast and lessons there was a varying degree of response to that fact.

Some were wistfully jealous. Luna and Susan were trying to figure out what they were doing as their first date and Susan would tell anyone who would listen that she was _sure_ Prince Harry took Ginny to do something Quidditch related because that was all they had talked about last night at dinner. Parvati agreed with Susan, although she seemed a lot more bitter than the other two women when she talked about it.

Daphne and Cho couldn't fathom the thought of Prince Harry choosing Ginny as the first to go on a date with. Hermione clenched her teeth and bit her tongue as, as soon as Ginny left to go get ready, the two girls began discussing that Prince Harry was working his way through the 'trash' first.

"It could be that Prince 'Arry genuinely liked 'is conversation with Ginny last night," Fleur piped up, her French accent more pronounced than usual. She had an annoyed expression on her face as she glared icily at Daphne and Cho. Apparently Hermione wasn't the only one getting fed up with the two women.

"What could _she_ possibly have that we don't?" Daphne huffed, letting out a harsh laugh.

"Maybe he was wanting to see if she'd clean for him," Cho laughed, lightly hitting Daphne on the arm. "After all, isn't that the only thing Fives are good for?"

Hermione stood up abruptly, her hands clenched tightly as she fought the urge to say something. She glared at the two women as they turned their full attention on her. "Got something to say?" Daphne challenged, raising a perfectly groomed eyebrow.

Fleur stood up, placing a gentle hand on Hermione's arm. "Do not listen to them," she muttered quietly, pulling on Hermione's arm. She resisted for a moment until it was clear that Fleur was not going to let this go. With an angry huff, Hermione let Fleur lead her across the room, her ears buzzing as everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. "They are trying to get a rise out of you."

Hermione took a couple of deep breaths as she sat down on the sofa Fleur had taken her to. She could hear Daphne and Cho laughing loudly from across the grand room and bit her lip. Her eyes began to burn and she frowned, resisting the urge to cry. She felt humiliated, not just from what they were saying, but from how _she_ had reacted as well. It was a good thing Fleur had stopped her from speaking – anything said to Daphne and Cho would have just been fuel to an already raging fire.

Hermione exhaled slowly and looked up at Fleur, "Thank you."

The beautiful blonde woman smiled and shook her head. "Do not thank me," she said smiling. "This may be a competition but we still need friends. After all, all of us are going through something new together, no?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "That's – that isn't what I meant," she replied slowly. She glanced down, tracing a scar on her knuckle with her index finger. "You're a Two. You didn't have to stick up for me."

Fleur clucked her tongue and leaned forward, pointing a finger at Hermione and a stern expression on her face. "Do not speak like that," she said angrily. Her tone made Hermione's eyebrows shoot up, she sounded genuinely annoyed. "I may come from a higher caste than you, but that does not give _anyone_ the right to talk to someone the way those two were talking about you and Ginny. It is despicable. Like I said before, Prince 'Arry and Ginny seemed to get along last night. Those two _harpies_ should be ashamed of themselves."

Hermione stared at Fleur, slack jawed. She had _never_ heard anyone of that caste talk the way Fleur just had. "Thank you," she said again, unable to think of anything else to say.

Fleur smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "So, obviously you have to work long hours," she said diplomatically, leaning back against the sofa. "But what do you like to do in your free time?"

For the next hour and a half, Hermione and Fleur spent time getting to know each other. Hermione was extremely surprised by how much she _liked_ Fleur. The older woman was beautiful, kind, and surprisingly witty. It wasn't any trouble having to hold a conversation, and even when the two lulled into silence it was by no means an awkward one. Hermione smiled to herself as Fleur talked animatedly about her little sister; this was the first time in three days that she truly felt at ease.

The large double doors opened up and Ginny strode into the room, positively beaming. In an instant, she was surrounded by everyone – even Daphne and Cho. Her eyes widened and Hermione could see the surprise on her face even from across the room.

"Shall we?" Fleur suggested, standing up. Hermione nodded and followed her over to where the crowd had gathered. The girls were firing off questions faster than Ginny could answer them.

"What did you do?"

"Where did you go?"

"Were there cameras?"

"What was it like to be with him one on one?"

"Did the two of you _kiss?_ "

The questions stopped after Parvati's question, everyone turning to Ginny for an answer. She went bright red, her mouth flapping as she tried to answer. "No," she finally sputtered out. "We went for a walk in the garden."

"That's all?" Daphne scoffed. She rolled her eyes and walked back to her sofa, Cho following her. "What a waste of a date."

Ginny finally caught Hermione's eye and walked straight to her, eyeing the way Fleur was standing beside her. "It sounded like a great first date," Hermione reassured. She nodded back to where she and Fleur had been sitting and started walking backwards. "Come on, you can tell Fleur and I all about it."

"Yeah, sure," Ginny said slowly, still eyeing Fleur. Hermione didn't blame her but still wanted to include Fleur in the discussion. After all, Fleur had ostracized herself from the other Two's in defense of them. Luna, Susan, and Alicia followed after them eagerly.

"So, a walk in the garden?" Hermione prompted once they'd sat back down.

Now that she wasn't being ambushed, Ginny began to grin widely. "It was _amazing_ , Hermione," she breathed. "He told me he wanted to continue our conversation from last night about Quidditch and that was why he asked me to go with him today."

"I knew it," Susan crowed triumphantly. Fleur shushed her.

"That's really all that happened. We just walked around the garden – apparently the Queen loves botany and flowers so most of the work you see there is done by her. It was so beautiful," Ginny sighed, resting her head against the back of the sofa. Hermione grinned; she'd never seen Ginny so gushy before. "There's a maze past the garden, did you know that? We didn't go in, but he said that if I wanted to, next time we could spend an afternoon trying it."

Everyone around Hermione sighed at that, all the women with varying degrees of jealousy on their faces. Hermione was just happy for Ginny; it sounded like they'd really hit it off (like she knew they would) and a second date was guaranteed.

"Did _anything_ happen between the two of you?" Alicia asked, looking a mix of happy and jealous.

Ginny grinned, her cheeks pinking as she bit her lip. "It may sound silly, but… he did hold my hand."

"How did he do it?" Fleur asked.

"We were just talking about the Chudley Cannons – that's a Quidditch team – and I was in the middle of saying something when he casually reaches down and just grabs my hand like it's no big deal. His thumb kept rubbing on the back of my hand and – " Ginny cut herself off with an excited squeal, putting her face in her hands and doing a little shimmy.

Hermione laughed, leaning up against Ginny as she had her moment. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks," Ginny replied, laughing as well. She pulled her hands away from her face, showing everyone how much she was blushing. "I can't believe how _giddy_ I am over this."

"This is a big deal," Luna stated. She smiled at Ginny. "You're the first of us to land a date with him so that means you have to have _something_ special."

An awkward silence followed Luna's statement. Luckily, the large clock above the fireplace began to chime. It was time for their lesson. Hermione stood up, still grinning at Ginny and pulled her up. "Come on," she said, heading out of the room. They'd been instructed to leave the Ladies Room once the clock hit one and then return after ten minutes. "Let's go grab you some water before we start our lesson."

 **[o][o][o]**

McGonagall's lesson consisted more or less of the same things she'd said the previous day. Hermione left for their break before dinner feeling extremely confused. She'd understood if the first lesson was just a refresher course, but McGonagall was making it clear that the lessons in etiquette would continue for a few more days. Hermione desperately wanted to talk to someone about it, even ask Ginny if she had gone through something similar to what she had, but stopped herself. What if whatever Amelia had done was illegal or wrong? Would that mean Hermione would be kicked out or sent home? There was a bitter taste in Hermione's mouth as she thought that and decided right then and there to keep her mouth shut. It was too risky to bring attention to.

Since there was time before she needed to get ready for dinner and because Hermione was in considerably better spirits than last night, she decided that now would be a good time to give her father a call. She left Ginny and Fleur (Ginny was still a little hesitant around the other woman, but slowly warming up to her) after their lesson and hurried down to where she knew the telephone was kept.

Hermione's heart started to thud in her chest as she neared the telephone. There were guards on stationed at the doorways at each end of the hall and she glanced at them warily. They'd noticed her, but made no move to stop her from approaching the phone. When she reached it, she gently grasped the handle of the phone and brought it up to her ear, eyeing the guards still. They didn't move.

Feeling relieved that they didn't try to stop her, Hermione pulled the phone number from the pocket of her dress and quickly rang the hospital. Her stomach began to flutter in anticipation and she could feel the perspiration starting to form on the back of her neck. Using a telephone felt so _important_. Sure, Hermione had used one before once or twice, but it was still such a new thing to her. She could also feel the eyes of the guards on her back, making her even more nervous about screwing this up.

" _St. Mungo's Hospital. How can I take your call?_ "

"Yes, uh," Hermione licked her suddenly dry lips, "may I speak with Robert Granger, please?"

" _One moment._ "

The phone clicked and Hermione was put on hold. She sighed, nudging her foot along the stone floor. She wasn't sure what all she would say to her father – obviously she'd tell him about the castle and the trip and all the people she'd met, but she couldn't think of a good way to talk about _how_ the others were treating her. Her father was smart, he'd pick up on her tone if she wasn't careful. Hermione frowned. Maybe she should've put more thought into this before calling.

" _I'm sorry ma'am, but Mr. Granger is currently in an appointment with the doctor._ "

Hermione felt a jolt of fear at the woman's words, "Is he alright?"

" _He's fine, it's just a routine checkup. If you want, I can get a nurse to call you when the appointment is finished?"_

Hermione grimaced. She didn't think the royal family would appreciate a hospital calling them. "No, that's fine," she replied, disappointment swelling in her chest. "How late are patients allowed to take calls?"

" _We stop letting them take calls at eight._ "

Hermione thanked the woman on the phone and hung up. She felt disappointed and sad at not being able to talk to her father, knowing that she'd have to wait to call him again. They were told that the dinners would go until eight thirty since the King had commitments during the early evening and didn't want to dine alone. She sighed and turned around, slowly walking back to her room. The phone call to her father would have to wait until tomorrow, then.

Hermione turned the corner and stilled, hearing two voices drawing near her. She looked up, her heart stopping when she saw Prince Harry and an older man walking towards her. Both of them hadn't noticed her. The older man was nodding and listening as the prince talked, using her arms for emphasis. The conversation looked pretty heated.

"I know how this must feel, Harry," the man said. "But we cannot ignore this for much longer."

"It couldn't have waited until later?" Prince Harry snapped. Hermione fought a chill at how angry he sounded. "I'm in the middle of – oh, Lady Hermione."

Prince Harry stopped short, his eyes widening as he finally spotted Hermione in the middle of the corridor. The older man looked over at her curiously.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt," she said quickly. She curtsied, bowing her head respectfully towards the prince. "Don't mind me. I'll just –"

"No," Prince Harry blurted out quickly. The man beside him looked surprised at his outburst at first, but then a sly grin began to form on his face. The prince recovered quickly, clearing his throat. "I mean, you didn't interrupt anything. This is one of my advisors, Remus Lupin. Remus, this is Lady Hermione Granger, from Gryffindor."

Hermione moved back into a curtsy as Prince Harry introduced them. "It's nice to meet you," she said nervously.

"Likewise, my lady," Remus bowed his head and then turned to the prince, grin still in place. "Let's continue this conversation later, Your Highness."

Hermione began to protest, their conversation sounded serious and she didn't want it to be put off because of her. Remus just smiled at her as he walked past, winking before turning the corner.

Once again, Hermione found herself trapped with Prince Harry. She exhaled, glancing at him from the corner of her eye as Remus's footsteps faded away. "I really didn't mean to interrupt you two," she said softly.

"You didn't," Prince Harry reassured, taking a step closer to her. "We just were having a… disagreement of sorts. How was your day?"

The sudden change of topic threw Hermione off for a moment. "It was good," she said eventually, wanting more than anything to escape this conversation. This felt _so_ awkward.

"I trust your morning went well?"

Hermione clenched her jaw. Couldn't Prince Harry see how uncomfortable this was making her? She thought back to the morning, feeling her hackles start to rise as she thought about Cho and Daphne. Then she thought about Fleur. "It did," she said smiling to herself. "I made a new friend while Ginny was with you."

"Oh." Prince Harry began to blush slightly at the mention of Ginny.

Hermione grinned, feeling the awkwardness melt just a tiny bit, "I wanted to thank you for that, by the way."

"For what?"

"For taking Ginny out." Hermione pushed some of her hair back behind her ear. "I've known Ginny for a _long_ time and I can honestly say I've never seen her that happy about a date before. So… thank you."

Prince Harry nodded, frowning slightly as he processed this. Hermione was sure he didn't realize he was frowning. "You're welcome," he replied slowly, making it sound almost like a question.

Hermione allowed her smile to grow. She liked this flustered, confused Prince Harry. "I should get back," she said. "I still have to get ready for dinner."

That seemed to snap the prince out of his confusion. His expression smoothed out and he smiled at her. "Of course, I'll see you later tonight."

Hermione curtsied and walked past Prince Harry as quickly as she dared without seeming rude. She still felt like she had interrupted something between him and Remus, but what stuck with her even more was his confusion to her thanking him.

Hermione made it back to their sleeping quarters without running into anyone else. She was just reaching her door when a commotion caught her attention from around the corner. Curious, Hermione peeked her head around to see what had happened. Susan was standing in front of her door, holding a note to her chest while she squealed. Once she spotted Hermione, she sprinted over to her, the note now raised above her head in a tight fist as she yelled, "Prince Harry asked me to see him tomorrow!"

Suddenly, the door to their left shot open and Cho poked her head out, her hair in a towel and just one eye of makeup complete. "Who got asked?" she hissed. Her eyes landed on Susan's fist and they narrowed. "Oh."

There was a pause as Hermione and Susan waited for Cho to say her piece. Hermione braced herself, ready to speak up and defend Susan if she needed to; Cho's attitude was really getting on her nerves. Thankfully, the Asian just rolled her eyes. "What did I tell you? He's working his way through the trash first," she scoffed, slamming the door behind her.

Susan's excitement dissipated at Cho's words. "Hey," Hermione said quietly, getting the other girl's attention. "Don't listen to her. She's just jealous."

"But… what if it's true?" she asked quietly. "Ginny's a Five… I'm a Four."

"It's not," Hermione said firmly. "I don't know much about Prince Harry but I can honestly say that I don't think he is like that – at all."

Susan gave a noncommittal hum, opening her fist and looking at the paper.

"Susan, it's not true," Hermione repeated. "You got to talk to him at last night's dinner, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well there you go," she said, smiling. "You must've said something to catch his attention. You and Ginny were the two that held a conversation with him the most. To me, it makes sense that you two were chosen first."

Susan smiled, the dark expression she had on her face lifting slightly. "Thanks, Hermione," she said. "I sometimes forget that all of us are here to try and win Prince Harry's heart."

Hermione almost said 'not me' but managed to bite her tongue before the words got out. Instead, she just smiled and patted Susan's shoulder. "I'm going to go get ready for dinner. I'll see you in a bit."

Susan nodded. Hermione walked back to her room and opened the door, sighing heavily as she shut it close behind her. Something needed to be done with Cho and Daphne – their feminine warfare was going to start some serious fights in the future.

"Is everything okay, my lady?" Tonks asked. She was standing by the closet of clothing, a garment in hand as she looked over at her.

"I'm fine," Hermione said. She toed off her heels with a sigh. "So, what am I wearing tonight?"

Tonks grinned.

 **[o][o][o]**

Hermione cuddled into the sofa contently, her book propped up against her legs as she read. The library was quiet as she had hoped, giving her the opportunity to unwind from what had turned out to be a surprisingly stressful day.

Dinner had been an interesting one. The other women seemed to have realized that the reason Ginny (and Susan – she'd not been able to not stop talking about her invite until the royal family arrived for dinner) had gotten dates was because they had been the most talkative with Harry during the previous dinner. It was almost hilarious watching everyone practically scramble over themselves to make sure that Prince Harry was listening – and responding – to them.

Queen Lily seemed amused by this as well. There was a point in the dinner when she and Hermione had locked gazes. The Queen's eyes, which were so much like Prince Harry's, twinkled as she grinned at Hermione. Hermione felt compelled to smile back, and spent the rest of the dinner feeling a tingly sensation throughout her body. The Queen had made eye contact with her.

"So, is this going to be a nightly thing?"

Hermione let out a gasp and jumped, the book in her lap flying to floor at Prince Harry's voice. She stood up, her eyes searching in the dim room for the source of the voice. There was a chuckle off to her right and she spun around, bowing down into a curtsy before she could even see the prince.

"Sorry for startling you," Prince Harry said. He stepped forward into the light, still semi-dressed from dinner. His dress shirt was untucked and the first three buttons were undone, making him look alarmingly casual. He bent down to pick up the book and held it out for Hermione. "I seem to do that a lot."

"It's me not paying attention," she said, taking the book and holding it to her chest. "I can leave…"

"No, don't," Prince Harry said, he sat down on the sofa, patting the cushion invitingly. "I actually wanted to talk to you."

Hermione felt her heart begin to beat painfully in her chest. Talk to her? Talk to her about what? She swallowed and slowly sat down, eyeing the prince, "What about?"

Prince Harry stared at Hermione for a moment, his emerald green eyes almost calculating from behind his glasses. Hermione felt her breathing begin to increase as she waited. "You… you don't want to be here, do you?"

Hermione froze, her eyes widening as she stared at the prince. "What makes you say that?" she asked quickly.

Prince Harry turned so his body faced hers and rested his elbow against the back of the sofa. "You're different," he began softly. "Not like the others. At first I thought that you were probably shy or that it was nerves. I even thought that it could've been embarrassment after last night, but after our conversation today I feel like you genuinely don't want to be here."

Fear was beginning to race through Hermione's entire body. This couldn't be happening. "I want to be here," she blurted out.

Prince Harry raised his eyebrows at her outburst. Then he smiled, almost sadly, "No, you don't."

This couldn't be happening. Hermione's vision began to blur as tears started to form. Was she really that transparent? She took a shaky breath as her lower lip trembled. "But I do," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

"Hey," Prince Harry's voice was soft and gentle as he called out to her. "Don't cry. You aren't in trouble or anything. There's no shame in going home, especially if you don't want to be here."

"I want to be here," Hermione choked out, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt a tear streak down her cheek. "I need to be here."

There was a pause as he digested what she said. "I don't get it," he said slowly. "You _need_ to be here?"

Hermione froze, realizing what she just said. Her body was now trembling and she wrapped her arms around her middle, trying – and failing – to keep the tears from falling. She jumped when she felt a warm hand press against her back.

"Hermione, what's going on?"

She was as good as gone, so Hermione figured she may as well just tell the prince. She took a couple of shuddery breaths, trying to get her breathing under control and sniffed. "M – my father," she began, "he's, uh, very sick. A few months back, he was hospitalized and the doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his stomach."

She heard Prince Harry's breathing hitch slightly.

"We're Fifth District Fives – my mother and I have to work twelve hour days just to be able to afford his room at the hospital. Then his doctor lets us know that the only way he could possibly survive this is if he gets surgery. We can barely afford him staying at the hospital, there's no possible way we could afford the surgery on top of that.

"The announcement for The Drawing was right around that time and it was my last chance at being able to afford Dad's surgery. I never expected I'd be chosen. But I guess I didn't do a very good job at trying." Hermione straightened up, wiping her eyes with a loud sigh. Prince Harry's hand fell from her back. She turned to look at him and was surprised to see the sadness in his eyes. "I never meant to deceive you. I am sorry for any trouble I caused," she said.

Prince Harry didn't respond right away. He looked into the fire that that was crackling a few feet away, a frown on his face. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he looked back at her. "Words cannot express how sorry I am," he began softly. Hermione winced, preparing herself for the inevitable kick. "If I ever had to go through that with my father…" He trailed off and dropped his head, chuckling humourlessly. "If you don't want to go home, then you won't."

Hermione's head snapped up and she stared wide eyed at the prince. "What?" she whispered, not daring to hope she heard him correctly.

"I could never do that to a person," he continued, frowning. "Sending someone home while knowing that the money lost could save someone's life? No."

"Are you serious?"

"I'm serious," Prince Harry said, nodding. "But, if you do stay… I would like a favour."

"Anything," she promised. The tears wouldn't stop but she didn't care. Prince Harry wasn't sending her home. Hermione felt so relieved that she knew she'd pretty much agree to anything at that moment.

"If I promise to have you stay for as long as I possibly can, do you think you could… help me out with the competition?"

She paused, unsure of what he meant, "What do you mean?"

Prince Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "My life isn't being put on hold for The Drawing," he said, suddenly sounding exhausted. "I still have duties and obligations _on top_ of trying to find my future wife. Having a friend around would be _really_ helpful."

"So… you want me to spy on them?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"No, not at all," Prince Harry said immediately. He paused and then sighed. "Okay, maybe a _little_ spying. I would just like for someone to tell me if I'm doing this right. Like earlier today – you saying that you've never seen Ginny that way before helped me out so much. Just continue to do things like that."

"I don't know how good I'll be at that. I'm really only friends with Ginny and Fleur," Hermione said slowly. She mentally cursed herself. Prince Harry was letting her stay and here she was arguing with him. What was wrong with her?

"Okay," he said slowly. "Well, did Lady Susan tell anyone about me asking her on a date?"

Hermione grinned, rolling her eyes. "She told everyone at least three times," she said, laughing quietly. "Cho is beside herself with jealousy."

"See! That right there is what I need," Prince Harry said. "I don't need you taking notes on who is up to what, just give me the rundown of what's going on. And if you have nothing to say, just letting me rant and talk would be great. I'm really very alone in all of this."

Hermione felt her heart go out to Prince Harry was he spoke. She never thought of how this would affect the prince at all. "I can do that," she agreed.

A beautiful smile broke out on Prince Harry's face at her words. "Thank you."

Hermione shook her head, "I should be the one thanking you. You could've sent me home so easily."

"I'd like to think I'm more compassionate then that," Prince Harry mumbled, looking down.

Hermione smiled and sniffed, pressing her hand against her nose. Her nose was dripping thanks to her crying earlier. "You wouldn't happen to have a tissue?" she asked, bringing a hand up to her nose in embarrassment.

"I don't, sorry," Prince Harry said, standing up. "Did you forget your wand? You could just conjure one."

Hermione froze, biting her lip as she watched Harry walk over to a bookcase. "I can't," she admitted softly.

"You can't?" Prince Harry turned to look at her in confusion. Hermione felt her face start to heat up and she looked down at her lap. "Why can't you conjure – oh! Oh. Oh Merlin. Hermione, I am _so_ sorry. I completely forgot that –"

"It's fine," Hermione cut him off. Her elation that she wouldn't be sent home was gone, replaced by a feeling of shame. She _hated_ it. She stood up, wanting nothing more than to go back to her room and go to sleep. "It's getting late. I probably should go."

"Hermione," Prince Harry called after her but Hermione had already left the library.

Tonks and Sally could tell that something was wrong when Hermione returned to her room. They looked concerned but didn't voice anything as they helped get her settle down for the night. Hermione was just getting into her bed when there was a knock at the door. Tonks, who was just about to leave for the night, answered it. It was the same maid who had sent them the note the previous night. She dipped her head, handing Tonks a note before leaving.

"It's for you," Tonks said, handing Hermione the paper.

Hermione opened it up, knowing immediately it was from the prince. She wasn't mad at him, but the assumptions he'd made still hurt a bit.

' _Lady Hermione,_

 _Please forgive my ignorance earlier. I should have been more aware of where you came from and the situations you've had to deal with. That was my fault and believe me when I say that I feel absolutely terrible for not being more sensitive._

 _Tomorrow after you are through with McGonagall's lessons, would you meet me in the garden? Of course I understand if you don't want to, but I would like the chance to apologize to you in person. I believe McGonagall said the lesson would be over by two, so I'll wait there until three._

 _Plus, this could count for a date towards you staying until the finals._

 _My most sincere apologies,_

 _Prince Harry._

 _P.S. Wear something causal.'_

 **[o][o][o]**

 **AN: She's got her first date with the Prince! Does she decide to go or will she stand him up? Find out next time! I'm curious to see what everyone thinks about this little plan of theirs.**

 **Thanks so much for everyone who has favorited, alerted, and reviewed this! Seriously, you guys are what keeps me motivated to write. So for those of you who reviewed (that had accounts – sorry guests!) I sent out a little preview of this chapter. I'm thinking I'll be doing that from now own. I've also started up a Tumblr account for anyone wanting to see how the story is going, keep in contact with me, and the like. Just look up** **ff-hpgunshot** **on Tumblr and you'll find me! Just a warning, there will be some The Walking Dead posts on there as well since I'm currently working on my fanfic for that, too (though I'm having some real difficulties with it).**

 **Until next time,**

 **Cheers!**

 **HP**


	7. Author's Note

Hello all! I know it has been over a year and I truly am sorry! I'm still trying to plug away at this story but my muse for this has a nasty habit of coming and going when I do try to work on this. Plus I found some pretty big plot holes that I need to work out for near the end of the story. So… The Drawing will be going on a hiatus until I can get these kinks sorted out. I am very sorry, I should have gotten these things worked out before I started posting the chapters, but they only really showed up when I started to story-board how the middle to end will actually go.

I am very sorry if this disappoints people and totally understand if I end up losing readers.

Cheers,

HP


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